“We Live Like Prisoners”: SA Woman Stuck in Netherlands Seeks Help From Government

• A South African mother has made a heartbreaking plea on TikTok, asking for urgent assistance to escape what she describes as an "unhealthy and unsafe environment"
• The distressed mother claims that her ex has obtained a travel ban through Dutch courts, preventing her and her two daughters from returning to South Africa
• She explains that they are forced to live in the same house as her ex-partner due to a housing crisis in the Netherlands, saying they "barely sleep or eat properly"

A South African woman has turned to social media in a desperate attempt to get help from the South African government after being trapped in the Netherlands with her two daughters. TikTok user @dead_end_jenn shared an emotional video pleading with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and fellow South Africans to help her family return home after facing what she describes as legal abuse and manipulation.

In her TikTok video, the distressed mother explains that she and her daughters are South African citizens who travelled to the Netherlands temporarily on their visas. However, they now find themselves unable to leave the country due to a full travel ban placed by Dutch courts, which was initiated by her "narcissistic" British ex-partner.

The mother claims that despite presenting evidence in the Dutch court, her case was "starkly ignored," as were her family's pleas to have them return safely to South Africa. She says she has made efforts through social services in the Netherlands, including the police, but they have been unable to help.

What makes the situation even more distressing is that the woman and her daughters are forced to live in the same house with her ex-partner due to the housing crisis in the Netherlands, where finding suitable accommodation is extremely difficult.

"We barely sleep or eat properly. We live like prisoners. We are confined to our rooms. We live in an inhumane, degrading, and emotionally damaging environment," she shared.

In her emotional appeal, she calls on DIRCO and fellow South Africans to assist her family:

"We just want our peace. We just want to get our lives back. We just want to stop this narcissistic abuse. We want to stop the discrimination, the injustice, the unfairness. So, we are asking for your help. Please share my story."

Watch the story here.

DIRCO's role in assisting citizens

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) is responsible for promoting South Africa's national interests and values through both bilateral and multilateral interactions. Among its strategic objectives is providing consular services to South African nationals abroad.

DIRCO is located in the OR Tambo Building at 460 Soutpansberg Road, Rietondale, Pretoria, and can be contacted at 012 351 1000 or through their website www.dirco.gov.za for citizens requiring assistance while abroad.

Mixed reactions from South Africans

The woman's plea has gained mixed reactions from South Africans who viewed her video:

@NoxStill_Wez speculated:

"There's more to this, they would rather deport quickly than keep people. Two sides to every story..."

@user3646513576093 expressed patriotic confidence:

"South Africa always helps its citizens. One thing about my country, proudly South African!"

@galvino1234 questioned the approach:

"Is there no embassy in the Netherlands? The only way we can help is by commenting here 😂"

@Kesisteng questioned the backstory:

"What is the issue in the first place, how did they decide to ban them from leaving the country?"

@user9101276068996 asked directly:

"What's the reason for him not wanting you to leave?"

@Shyguy called for more context:

"All these stories that people post here are one-sided. We need to hear both sides, I'm sure there are a lot of South Africans living there that can assist... Even journalists. There's an embassy there..."

3 other stories of South Africans abroad

• Briefly News recently spoke to a South African woman living between Switzerland and South Africa who made a heartfelt video listing the top five things she misses most when abroad.
• A brave South African mother named Lynn Dennison shared her inspiring journey of moving to China with her young daughter despite friends and family warning she wouldn't be able to raise a child there.
• A South African man's vlog about his apartment in Shanghai, China, went viral as he jokingly referred to his luxurious living space as a "shack".

Source: Briefly News