Announcing the "Official" Ms. Long

Late last week I received a letter from the Bureau of Immigration and Integration stating that: at my convenience (during their open hours of course), I could collect my identity card! That's right! I am official allowed to camp out in the Nederlands until September 29th, 2010!

If you'll remember the last time (http://riotousrotterdam.blogspot.com/2009/10/proper-viewing.html) going to the Immigration office is not a lot of fun; yet, I had quite a different experience this time. I literally breezed through, first asking the reception for a ticket to ensure that I got to the correct counter on the first try. Walking over to the set of benches at the end, I saw to my utter disbelief that I was first in line to see the clerk. After about three or four minutes of waiting, she called me up, issued my card lickety-split, gave me a 'how-to' pamphlet in Dutch and English, and sent me on my way. The whole trip took me about 10 minutes.

My shiny new identification card is high-tech with textured photo imaging and if I might say, rather beautiful with all its colours - pinks, reds, greens, blues, and white. How does this card make me feel? Unfortunately, I feel no more at home (in the sense of belonging) than the day before because of the card's purpose. Until now I've been walking around the streets without the 'proper' identification according to police standards because they ask that I carry around my passport everyday, which I'm not willing to do (I loose things too easily). Thus now, if ever asked, I can whip out this official card which proves that I've been allowed to reside in the Nederlands.

Does it strike you odd that people might ask you for identification while walking down the street? When I was in Poland, QueenB also mentioned that she walked around with her passport (her Polish one) in case she was ever asked. As far as I know, this is not something that Canadians are requested to do. In fact, if we get pulled over whilst driving by the police, we have up to 24 hours to produce our licence! Hence, I can only guess that requests for identification are a European phenomenon. During the 4 months that I've been here, I have never once been asked to show my identification. Alas, this is not the case with everyone living here.

In Rotterdam (I'm not sure if this occurs elsewhere in the Nederlands), there are such things called 'preventative searches' conducted by the police. What this entails is that those individuals selected by the authorities "at random" (although there is a feeling that only young males who appear to be of 'foreign' background are targeted, I even think that there is a lawsuit currently pending) are frisked and their identification checked. If I have not already mentioned-these searches, to my knowledge, are conducted for the purpose of locating concealed weapons, drugs, etc to PREVENT future crimes. I know people who have been subjected to these searches and I was left with the feeling that those who had been searched felt violated to varying degrees (from greatly influenced to feelings of indifference). I find the fact that these searches are done in public, on a street corner, to be quite...how can you say it without offending anyone…f*#!ing invasive (pardon me). The idea of security is something that I will continue to pursue in the future.

I recognise that I might not have been asked for my identification to date because of where I live and where I frequent. However it could also be contingent on the fact that I am a white, educated, Canadian, female. My immigration experience in addition to these preventative searches have made me question the use of, and the need to carry, these identification cards. More information is needed from both perspectives of this situation: those who are asked for their id and those who request it.