Yousef (28) from Syria has a chance to win a seat on the municipal council: "You have the right to vote. Use it. You count in the Netherlands"
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Yousef (28) has been a Dutch citizen for 4 years. In the upcoming municipal elections, he is on position 5 of the list for GroenLinks-PvdA in Wijchen. He has a good chance of getting into the municipal council. "Politics seemed to me the best way to give something back."
After 3 applications, my parents were finally allowed to come to the Netherlands as well
Yousef was 17 when he came to the Netherlands alone from Syria and received an asylum residence permit when he was 18. According to the IND, by then he no longer needed his parents, since he was an adult. However, Yousef knew that Dutch law allowed him to have his parents come to the Netherlands, so he did not give up. "It was not easy," he says. "My application was first rejected 3 more times before it worked out."
Yousef now lives in Wijchen, near Nijmegen. He speaks fluent Dutch, studies aeronautical engineering in Amsterdam, volunteers at
I only did not vote the first time because I did not know how it worked
Yousef says he has always been interested in politics. Although he was never allowed to vote in Syria because he was not yet 18. He also knew that his vote would not be worth anything there anyway, because there was only 1 party that was going to win no matter what.
In the Netherlands, he has always voted: twice for the
He read party programmes, participated in the voting guide and read the newspapers every day. Yousef thinks it makes sense for him to vote: "You know, I am a part of the Netherlands. My heart is in the Netherlands. When I came here I saw people who are very nice. I felt welcome. And I wanted to give something back to this country. And I thought: politics is the best option to change things that I do not like yet."
It actually started when I was invited by the king and queen
When asked how he ended up in politics, he says, "My political career actually started with D66. They had invited me to a meeting for newcomers in 2019." Just before that, Yousef had become a volunteer for the
Queen Máxima presents the awards every year. Yousef and the other volunteers were therefore invited by the king and queen. Yousef says proudly, "From the ASC to Noordeinde Palace in one go!"
Yousef: "And then I thought: I also want to do something in politics. So then I got the invitation from D66 and met Sigrid Kaag. She spoke Arabic with us. So well! Almost better than me. She motivated us to become active. Because from the right-wing parties you are told that you have to go back and that you are not doing well. But she told us that we belong here and that she would help us. So it started with D66."
The councillor from the PvdA then wanted to talk to me
After the 2021 House of Representatives elections, Yousef felt he no longer fit in with D66. He says: "For me, it was a little vague what D66 wanted. Sometimes middle, sometimes a little right." In Wijchen, he knew the PvdA councillor and he was willing to talk to him. "He told me I could be present at and watch the group meetings and committee meetings. And that is how I became a member."
Less than 2 months later, a
I want to stand up for people who cannot take care of themselves in the Netherlands
"In Syria, I had no future" he continues. "However, here in the Netherlands I was able to build an existence. I am working on my future. Soon I am going to finish my studies. And I am also going to do a Master's degree. And now come the
Yousef does not think he has to choose between his studies and politics. What is clear is that he wants to head toward politics. That is where his heart lies. "I am someone who is really very interested in politics. I always want to see things change. And if I can contribute to that myself, that makes me very happy."
For him, the most important thing is that discrimination is stopped better. And that he can stand up for people who cannot take care of themselves in the Netherlands: "Especially people who have just arrived in the Netherlands and also do not know what to expect here. I like to share my experiences with them. I have been here for 11 years."
Of course, he is also concerned with what else is going on in the Netherlands. Yousef: "I want to stand up for things that are not true. Like the claims of right-wing parties telling people in the Netherlands that refugees are taking away their jobs and homes."
Yousef especially hopes that Syrians everywhere will vote. "I always say: it is simply your right to vote. Use it. You might never have had it, but you have it now. You count. Let it be known what you think."