Towards Labour Market Integration

Volunteer rather than refugee: Khalil’s story

In France, the community sponsorship programme is part of the humanitarian corridors and is supported by the five organisations that signed the protocol with the government. The Fédération de l'Entraide Protestant (FEP), a partner in the SHARE QSN project, is one of these organisations, working throughout France with its five poles spread across the country.

Imagine the following situation: You are newly arrived in a country and a municipality and you are just starting to feel comfortable in your new environment when measures are implemented to deal with the health crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic. How would you feel?

Yomna and Khalil taking an online course while their children play

This is exactly what happened to Khalil, a sponsored Syrian refugee in France, in Montesson, near Paris, where he has lived with his family since December 2018. A computer engineer in Syria, he expected to be able to work as soon as he arrived, which turned out not to be the case, mainly because of the language barrier and the "different work culture in France". Finding work quickly would also have helped him to expand his circle of acquaintances beyond the group of volunteers who helped his family settle into their new environment and whom he now considers to be one big family. "The group is amazing, the people in the group give us material support but also moral support, which we appreciate a lot", says Khalil "It is difficult to arrive in a new community as an adult", he continues "and we have to make great efforts to gain the trust of the locals".
Once he was comfortable with the French language, Khalil thought he would be able to start his new life when the health situation started to deteriorate. Already active as a volunteer in Lebanon and Syria, he thought that reengaging with his new community would be a good way to get to know new people and show his willingness to help his fellow citizens.

During the first lockdown, Khalil offered his services to the Montesson town hall and the parish to organise computer courses, which were very useful following the sudden transition to digital technology imposed by the social distancing measures. However, as it was not possible to organise computer training, he was redirected by the town hall to activities to support the elderly, such as going shopping once a week in the local supermarket and taking out the rubbish. "It was not easy to manage all this with the changeover taking place online," Khalil says, "especially because I didn't have a car and the lists of products to buy mentioned specific brands that I often didn't know," he continues. "Moreover, it was an activity that I did alone in the end, even though I have now made friends with the supermarket staff," he concludes. However, this experience also offered him a great opportunity: to change his "label".

"I could now present myself as the volunteer from Montesson, and not the refugee from Montesson, which I like", he says with a smile.

In addition, he was also able to offer his services as a volunteer in the field of computer troubleshooting, which was in great demand during the health crisis. He mainly helped the elderly people he met, which also allowed him to strengthen his technical skills. This is now an activity that he carries out alongside his main occupation. "I am now on a work-study programme," Khalil says, "as is my wife, Yomna, who is an electrical engineer."

With these occupations and the children well settled in school, the family is beginning to gain independence.

"Learning the local language is very important," Khalil says, "but also knowing more practical aspects of local life, for example, whether the neighbours like it when you come to say hello every day or not"

The role of the citizen collective as part of the citizen sponsorship scheme, with its administrative, logistical and human support as well as with the activities organised, has been fundamental. However, establishing links, for example with another sponsored family from Iraq, whom Khalil met through the citizen committee, or with the members of the committee itself, will require more time and effort. "Montesson is a small town, but despite that, it has everything you need and it is very pleasant for the children," Khalil concludes, describing his new home with optimism.