‘Maastricht has gradually become our home’

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Neda Rabbani is originally from Iran. Three and a half years ago, she and her partner decided that Maastricht would be the place where they wanted to build their future. Together they have twins, a boy and a girl. They now speak Dutch fluently and switch effortlessly between three languages. The family are very close-knit, enjoy their surroundings but also face challenges.

“Before we came to the Netherlands, I worked for over fifteen years as a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry. I started at an international company, moved to Turkey and later returned to Iran to start a family. We wanted to give our children the best possible opportunities. When my husband was granted a visa to come to the Netherlands, we decided to settle in Limburg. Maastricht University is very well known in Iran, and Dutch children are said to be the happiest in the world, so this felt like the right environment for our family.

My husband found work quite quickly. After that, my job search could begin. I found a job at an international company, but my contract was terminated following a reorganisation. It took seven months before I found a new role: I was offered a one-year contract as a Quality Engineer. It wasn’t quite my area of expertise, but it was a good opportunity to develop my skills further. At the moment, I’m looking for a suitable role again. I’m making good use of organisations that can help me on my way, such as the International Career Centre."

‘One of the most wonderful things is seeing how confidently our children are discovering their new world.’

Challenge

“With nearly twenty years’ experience, people are sometimes surprised when I apply for mid-level roles. But jobs in my specific field are scarce in this region. My experience lies less in the design side and more in the field of development, which means I lack certain skills that companies here are looking for. The fact that I don’t speak Dutch yet is also a factor. I’m taking lessons whenever I can, and I’ll soon have to sit the integration exam. It’s a lot to take on, but I’m doing my very best.”

Close-knit community

“The community I’ve been welcomed into is a huge plus, though. Maastricht is home to various Iranian groups: students, professionals and families. I have lots of Iranian friends here. We have WhatsApp groups for shared hobbies, cultural celebrations and important events from our home country. It’s still difficult that we see many of our family members far less often, as we’re very close-knit. Fortunately, my sister lives in Hamburg; we visit each other as often as possible and plan summer holidays together. That’s really lovely – my children adore her.”

“We’ve lived abroad before, even in Russia, where it was -24 degrees at Christmas, so we adapt quite easily. But Maastricht feels different. Softer, more balanced. A place where our children can grow up freely and where we can build a future.”

Family always comes first in our lives. We enjoy the region’s natural beauty together with our children. We cycle a lot, collect leaves and stones for craft projects and love going camping. When it rains, I have to come up with good reasons why we can’t cycle to school – that’s how much they enjoy it. They also enjoy swimming, ballet, football and piano lessons. They make me incredibly proud.

Our life isn’t perfect. Finding work, learning the language and getting to grips with a new system is challenging. But it’s absolutely worth it. Maastricht has gradually become our home, a place where our family life is thriving."