What the refugees in Romania expect from the Government

“The government should give the refugees the chance to work and have a good doctor. And assistance in finding a good home. I like Romania and I don’t want to leave this country. I would like to tell the Prime Minister that the asylum seeker allowance of Lei 54 for two weeks is just too little. That is why people don’t want to stay here and leave for somewhere else.”

(Asylum seeker, Cameroon)

“I have been living in Brașov, Romania for 20 months and it is only now that I’ve managed to enrol in a Romanian language course. I’ve been trying to find courses, but I didn’t know where to look for such courses. I have been trying to find a private teacher, but most teachers that I contacted knew how to teach English to Romanian speakers and not the other way around. I am currently taking Romanian language lessons from a kindergarten teacher and I’m falling in love with this beautiful language.

I notice that it is very hard to find a job in Romania if you don’t speak Romanian. I was luckier that the rest of the refugees because I work as a freelance online designer.

One of the first things I wanted after arriving here was a bank account so that I could start my online business. I went to a bank, but they refused to open a bank account based on the temporary residence permit, with the refugee status granted by the Romanian authorities. So I had to go to other banks, which also turned me down. Then I went to another bank, which turned me down at first, but then, when I returned with a friend of mine who is a lawyer and who explained that I had the same rights as a Romanian citizen under the asylum law, accepted and opened an account.

I have never felt that I am a foreigner here; in fact, I now have more Romanian friends than Syrian friends.”

(Refugee, Syria)

“1. It would be good if we could learn Romanian, which means daily lessons with private teachers.

2. Free access to health insurance for refugees until they can find jobs.
3. I’d like financial support for refugees for 2 years instead of 9 months. Because 9 months is a short period of time. In this way, they could learn Romanian well and find jobs.
4. Proper accommodation for families, old people and young people.”

(Refugee, Somalia)

“The question is: if somebody has no money, no job, doesn’t speak the language, has no friends, is not accustomed to the society and the places, cannot share his or her pain with the family members that stayed behind in his or her country of origin because he or she doesn’t want their parents to worry for their child, what can he or she do?

Why are the grant money received after three months, what is a refugee supposed to do during these three months? I would like support for the refugees until they learn Romanian and find a job, please.

I would also like an organisation in charge of identifying refugees’ competences or qualifications for various jobs and that organisation should be in contact with lots of private or public companies and mediate the relationship between the refugees seeking employment and hiring companies.

Some perhaps have some money they want to invest here. How can they do this? They should be advised so that they could learn the rules to open a business here and how they can be successful.

Others may want to continue their education, obtain a university degree or a masters/ PhD degree. They should be supported in their actions.”

(Refugee, Afghanistan)