Patrick (70) was born in Algeria. For more than 40 years he has lived in the Netherlands, without papers. All this time it just doesn't work out what he wants: proof that he is officially allowed to be here.
Under his coat, Patrick pulls out a folder. Patrick is not his birth name, but he has been using it for years. "It's easier." From the folder, he pulls out dozens of slipcovers containing papers. They are applications for residence permits, emails from lawyers, street lawyers, from the ombudsman, a summary of a psychiatric examination. He has his affairs in order. He shows a letter from a lawyer. Yet another one: if a lawyer can no longer do anything for him, he will look for another. And still he has no residence permit. Unfair, he thinks. In 1984, he came here on a tourist visa via Belgium. His mother was 16 when she had him. In his youth in Algeria, he was shuttled back and forth between families. Things were better in the Netherlands. He worked he worked in a coffee shop, at the market, in a clothing workshop. He stood in a nightclub wardrobe. He had an extensive circle of friends, a relationship.
Community Man
Work is now no longer possible, his body can't handle it, but he still has a large network. Patrick volunteers at De Regenboog Groep's walk-in centres for other homeless people. For migrants, he translates letters. He goes with them to appointments. Sits in working groups. At Amsterdam Central Station, he caught refugees and showed them the way. The city is his home. "I know the city better than many students," he says. But unlike the students, he is not entitled to anything. The Linkage Act, designed to combat illegal residence, denies undocumented people all social benefits such as welfare and health care benefits. That makes life tough. Patrick talked about this with then Mayor Van der Laan, later with Femke Halsema. "Every time I tell my story, but it doesn't get me anywhere."
"Every time I tell my story, but it doesn't get me anywhere."
.Straight
In a slipcase is a letter from the IND, dated 2016. It has one sentence underlined with a red pen: a reference to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. "There must be a very long-term stay to possibly qualify for a residence status," it says. "Then I am entitled to it, right?" He grabs his phone and shows his medical file. The file is 86 (!) pages long. Things haven't been going well lately, he says. He has diabetes and glaucoma, is confused more often. He gets medically necessary care and has recently had a regular family doctor. But each time it's a diagnosis here, a few pills there. His hopeless situation makes him desperate. His father and mother have since died. Algeria is not the same after 40 years. What should he do now, he asks. Who can help him? He no longer knows himself. "But," there is a glimmer of hope in his voice. "I have a new lawyer, who knows, maybe he can still do something for me."
Text: Marianne Lucieer and Linda Samplonius | Photography: Mona van den Berg
Patrick
What is the problem?
15,000 undocumented people live in Amsterdam, according to official estimates
.
More and more long-term undocumented elderly people are becoming less self-reliant and need help around shelter, subsistence and access to (medical) care. Without income and with fragile health, their social network is becoming depleted.
between 10,000 and 30,000 according to estimates by organizations in the city
Source: amsterdam.nl
These people often worked long and hard in construction, cleaning or other forms of services. They were often exploited and did not build up a pension. Now they are elderly and vulnerable. And become more dependent on organizations like De Regenboog Groep.
What does De Regenboog do?
Residence Scheme
On January 2, 2025, at the Amsterdam Solidarity Committee for Refugees (ASKV), the counter opened for the residence arrangement for Surinamese former Dutchmen. De Regenboog Groep and other parties fought for the arrangement for years. At last there is a solution for a group of people who have spent decades in a legal no man's land.
More accessible care
De Regenboog Groep is committed to improving access to services such as care and housing and improving the residence status of older undocumented people. Among other things, we are working with the Kruispost Foundation on more accessible medical care, including long-term care under the Long-Term Care Act (Wlz). Together, we wrote a practical manual for social workers working with undocumented clients in 2025. It contains tools for organizing long-term care.
Walk-in for the elderly
Together with the World House we run a monthly walk-in for older undocumented people. With the Protestant Diaconate, we have provided permanent housing for a group of elderly people. We are also developing a plan to provide a bed and shelter for more people.