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Dechesa addiction among Ethiopians in the U.K.

Posted on by Elias Kifle

By Mulumebet Asfaw

Last year I went to the United Kingdom to do a comparative research on welfare benefits, its advantages and its adverse effects. That had given me a chance to closely scrutinize how some Ethiopians in the UK survive on benefits. You may wonder why anyone would want to write about the positive and negative effects of benefits on an immigrant community. The simple answer is the pervasive addiction of welfare benefits, also known as Dechasa, among able bodied Ethiopians who have every opportunity to succeed without being indefinitely dependent on welfare benefits.

The United Kingdom is a country where a generous welfare system helps those who cannot afford to cope with the cost of life. Those without jobs, anyone unable to earn a living due to other unfortunate circumstances like serious illnesses and disabilities get assistance from the tax payer’s coffers under various schemes. There are many kinds of benefits, like job seekers allowance, income support, disability allowance, housing benefit, child benefit, council tax benefit etc.

The benefit system in the UK has its own weaknesses and can easily be abused and manipulated by unscrupulous individuals with false claims. What I found striking is not the number of Ethiopians who are on benefits because they have legitimate grounds to get support to survive. Asylum seekers who are not allowed to work, which is another weakness of the system, senior citizens, children under 18, genuinely single mums, disabled and unemployed people have all legitimate grounds to claim welfare benefits for survival.

As the main objective of the benefit system is to help those who cannot afford to pay their bills because of joblessness, disabilities or any other legitimate grounds, one cannot criticise them for being dependent on welfare benefits because of their unfortunate circumstances as there are a number of Ethiopians in this category who have good reasons to seek assistance from public funds.

My critical views are directed towards Ethiopians in the UK who are deliberately trying to make every effort not to get stuck in the benefit system even if they have every chance to take advantage of the opportunities on offer to them. One of the undesirable effects of Dechesa is making some people to develop a culture of laziness and dependency syndrome abusing the benefit system at will, sometimes doing nothing except backbiting others. If anyone dares to advise these kinds of people why don’t they try to lead meaningful lives, they are likely to angrily retort “It is none of your business. That is envy!” In a civilised society though, there is however nothing off limit closer scrutiny especially when a malpractice is grossly wrong.

Let us put “Dechasa” addicts under different categories. However, caution must be taken that this is not an effort to expose the corrupt practise, as it is already an open secret, but to encourage Ethiopians to believe in hard work and to shun a system that can prevent them from leading productive and meaningful lives free from cheating, which is not a smart way of earning a living at the expense of hard working people who pay their taxes responsibly. Putting such a malfeasance under scrutiny can show Ethiopians, whether in the UK or other countries, that it is hard work, not welfare dependency and addiction, that should be construed as a source success, pride and confidence.

1. The job dodger: There are some who are able to work and earn their living. Some are well qualified but never want to get employed. Among the Ethiopian community in the UK, it is a taboo to ask why. But you hear constant moaning from the job dodgers that the Job Centre, a government agency that puts people into jobs, is harassing them to do training and offering work. Don’t get surprised if you hear the job dodgers saying: “These cruel people have found me a job. I will tell them I am too ill to work.” This may appear a joke but it is a reality of life for the job dodgers. They are too lazy to work or they have a preconceived idea that they can only be better off to be on benefits forever.

2. Married but separate: In order to take advantage of the loop holes in the system, these one get married with a lot of fanfare and big limos. The trouble with them is that even if they get married legally they declare divorce as soon as possible or they never declare their marriage. The extreme cases go as far as both claiming income support, job seekers allowance, housing and council tax benefits. It doesn’t end there. They rent out flats and houses that are registered under a housing benefit claimant. That means they live rent free and become landlords and landladies of properties that they spend not a single penny on. In some cases they even go out for extra income working in the black market.

3. Healthy but disabled: Under these categories fall those who are healthy but claim to be disabled. They claim the maximum amounts of welfare benefits but one may find them doing hard jobs in the underground. They never wish to have a decent job as they think they are too smart to squeeze the system.

4. Self-employed but no income: Cab drivers and business owners fall under this category. Some amongst this group declare their income so low that their income would appear not even enough to pay their rent. Assisted by dodgy accountants, they prefer to save their income and claim benefits for their basic expenses including housing rent.

5. The young pensioner: Cheating the benefit system has become so entrenched among Ethiopians in the UK that even young people prefer to live like old aged pensioners rather than getting qualifications and aspire to fulfill their dreams.

6. The landlord on welfare: As I have mentioned above, some become scrupulous landlords claiming all kinds of benefits. The majority of the dodgy dealers live with their partners, girl friends, boy friends, husbands and wives while claiming state benefits. This practically turns them into landlords on welfare which is an illegal way of making money that they have never toiled to earn. If anyone challenges these malfeasance affecting a significant number of individuals and families, they would be victims of smear campaigns as those who have a problem with the truth find it hard to handle it.

To my amazement, the majority benefit cheats I have come across think that this is a smart way of survival but what is at stake is honesty, integrity and morality. Some families who have children but live on benefits while earning enough teach their children a bad lesson. The community organisations that are supposed to show the right ways and means of survival to the Ethiopians community in the UK have their own weaknesses as they are too focused on fundraising and siphoning off funds to their own ends.

It is very healthy to aspire to prosper. But prosperity should come through hard work and real earning. Living in confidence is much better than playing hide and seek with welfare officers.

Those who have no choice but to survive on benefits are beyond reproach. They have little options. But those who are capable of supporting themselves and making positive contributions to their host country should accept the fact that hard work is the best way of survival with dignity. It should also be noted that there are so many Ethiopians who work and study hard to succeed in the United Kingdom in the right ways. Unnecessary dependency syndrome and addiction to Dechasa must be shunned and discouraged as it is not a smart way of survival for those who cheat. Where ever we go we must believe that we can make in in the right way of life.
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The writer can be reached at [email protected]

129 thoughts on “Dechesa addiction among Ethiopians in the U.K.”

  1. Popstar,

    Really I am Neuro Surgeon I will transplant you a donkey brain so that you chew grass.

    MHRC,
    By the time your children graduate they are not Ethiopians. Their brain is washed. I hope that they will get job and come to Ethiopia with their money to dance for their weeding. You are intelligent and hard working, that is why you became successful in UK!

    Both of you are white men with Ethiopian pen name.

    The only reason one can migrate to UK is if he has money which for the majority of Ethiopians who earn a dollar a day is difficult, unless one is a thief.
    Marriage, if you merry a British citizen probably those refused by whites
    Asylum, if you betray your country or if you were spy.
    You are one of these.
    Testa di gallina

  2. Dear HMRC,
    I wrote HRMC. So what? English is not my mother tongue. I am not British. I am Ethiopian ABUGIDA!I do not have time to concentrate on rubbish thing “Fart of Market”. Did your skin color also changed because of lack of sunshine, are you getting fat for consuming cheap foods GM. For you one who does not speak English is inferior uncivilized. Foolish
    When did you get a British passport? You will come to Ethiopia to see your uncle, he is begging on street. Why do you care only for you and your children? You are highly egocentric. Go to hell with welfare. Send money for 9 million starving

  3. Dear Gonder MED

    Let us be serious, I am currently recruiting for … collection position, but strictly I need people who are enthusiastic, energetic, yes can do approach with a appositive attitude for life….. Sound familiar, ….If you don’t fit this you need to pack and go. Don’t even think you will dump yourself in Ethiopia. They will not take you there either. You are simply a waste of space. Your days are numbered; even Ethiopian’s will not lend their shoulder any more.
    I am back to work, I have a lot of people lined up here who want to start from the foundation and build all the way up and prove that THEY CAN, you my fried, go back to your miserable life.
    Shalom

  4. Dear Surafel, you don’t have to be privileged to know the meaning of “independent school” with the current technology era. My people back home have knowledge beyond that! And to answer your question yes it means private school.

    For you Mr Gondor MED, I am better than that and I don’t want to come to your level and certainly you have proved your metal status.

    Let us not move away from the main focus of this discussion; which ever way you come from “benefit is not a way of life”!!
    Let us get out and be fruitful and at least make our children’s life better than ourselves by being good example. That is all I want to say to all my county people who lives here in the UK. Stop acting as a victim!!

  6. I thought the comments were about “Mulu’s” article on UK food-stamp VS Ethiopians debut. Out of the blue, the discussion twisted-up and folks like Gondar-med,Pop star HMRC and the like started thier own mini-confrontation on word-hair-splitting!

    HMRC is that an accronym for Highly Miserable and Reluctant Citizen?
    sucks if its so!

    Cool_Being
    Alexandria, Virginia

  7. Mulumebet Asfaw,

    your article has reminded me the event that occured last year in London Ethiopian embassy by some Ethiopians who live there. Because of this, even if it has some truth, it is one sided, politically motivated revenge work. Sorry to say it, but I have to say it, that you are not free and fair as genuine researcher. I hope you will not be disappointed. This is what I can say based on your paper.

  8. Welfare is not alms.
    Charity is like rocket science it has purpose.
    Splitting hair means understanding. My grandmother understands water is a liquid. I understand that it is made of Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms but not my grandmother. Why do you want to suppress the deep analysis?
    I will go back to my country. I will not Exchange Addis Ababa for London. Never.

    I think some people are not happy about my analysis. I know they will chase me out again for my country with their agents. But what so ever the British should remember King of Kings Tedross. Who killed himself rather than falling in the hands of the British he knows how bad they are. A person who changes his nationality for money is like a person who changes his gender and becomes Trans sexual. This is normal in the UK! But never in Ethiopia, are we not crazy yet.

  9. i am not really sure wheather it was research or some kind of coffee gossip, I THINK you just come down to uk and had a private chat with few people, that why it looks like research. you should be ashamed , you dare to call this research. IF IT WAS A RESEARCH THERE ARE ALOT OF THINGS TO INCLUDE. IN FIRST PLACE MOST PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRYS ARE VICTIM OF THE SYSTEM, WHY WE ARE VICTIM OF SYTEM , IT MIGHT NEED LONG EXPLANATION, I THINK YOU ARE PROBABLY THE AN AGENT FOR SHABIA. YOU WAKE UP TO DAMAGE HARD WORKING AND PROUD ETHIOPIANS, IF YOU ARE REALLY AN ETHIOPIAN , YOU SHOULD APOLOGISED TO FELLOW CITIZENS.

    GOD MAY BLESS YOU , AND I FORGIVE YOU ON BEHALF OF MY FELLOW PEOPLE, GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA

  10. Dear Editor

    The continuation of the squabble over Mulumebet’s opinion would not be in the best interest of all Ethiopians and all immigrants residing in the UK.

    I hope you Will consider the removal of this topic from the board.

    Dereje

  11. If the UK is generous go to Wales, Irish the potato famine and Scotish. Those tens of thousands in Bangor concentratioon camp Snowdonia, smoking drug. Infact they prefer an Ethiopian to English.It is the syetem which makes you addicted it is not the peples choise.
    Now they are applying Ethiopians to divert attention from English. In a heard of fighting Buffalo, if one introduces a dog all the attention is diverted to the dog.

  12. wel….to give a community a bad name is very easy.we have already like that of things which a sociate us torinett,rehab…etc THEY just use it to let us down.wherever we are we just struggel to change that name.MIYASAZINEWW GINN one of our`s (mulumebet asfaw) became their wepon!!!i hope u r not sufuring from gilltyconcous.what do u feel when u read all this comments??mulumebet(why didn`t u tried to be like ur name**mulumebet**u just tried the opposite **agodelshinn**.any way GOD BLESS U sister

  13. Dear Author

    I do agree with most of your story regarding the welfare system in United Kingdom. Even though I have been to UK twice, my intentions wasn’t for any kind of research regarding how the welfare system works there however I would like to add some comments on the srory on what I have observed during my visit.
    Indeed the welfare system is getting abused with some people close to my family. Most people that I meet during my visit would repeat the same reason why they decided to rely on welfare and that is “Regaring how hard you work, you will be making the same amount of money that you will get by relying on welfare”. Infact the same reason has been applied in Sweden from a freind of mine as well. Even though I prefer to work regardless of which way I will make more money, you got to understad why some people chose to rely on welfare.
    One of the good reason why most immigrants who live in USA are considered a hard work people is due to the fact there is hugh amount of opportunity for you to become successful. I guess we need to take a look at any story in two sides before we judge it. Even though I am happy the author brought this sensitive subject for us to discuss, we need to becareful about publishing articles like this. We might make life hard to few Ethiopians in UK who have to rely on welfare to make ends meet.

  14. Some people are trying to mask the reality by writing some thing silly as if tehy have profound knowledge. For example an average British starts sex at 15 years he have very little loan to cover his tuition fee. Where as an average Ethiopian marries at 48 and the system favors divorce by supporting more to single parent so that the children grow parent less. They are slave gift to the English government
    What does hard working mean? Slave or poor have to work for survival.
    There is no Lazy race or species on the planet.

  15. The research is incomplete and one sided. I had been on benefit for nearly 10months. During that time I was able to successfuly apply for more than 3000 thousand jobs. Dod you see how much time and effort require to apply for a job and even be successful. Being on benefit all these time helped me not to worry about bills and house rent. Imagine how much I would have been stressed and depressed if there would not have been any help from who ever. in this case from GOV. In a nutshell being on benefit has got both advantage and disadvatge and it is a fact of life and we can not change.

    Appreciate your concern anyways.

  18. The article posted here above is not a research paper; it is journalistic type of writing.
    In order to assess welfare there must be rational. It should start with the historical relations of Ethio-British. Phenomenon of migration of Ethiopians and crossectional survey is not enough…….
    Welfare abroad and here in Addis is killing our people .we are killed at home by Aid.
    Salvage cloths (Used) destroyed our tailors and textile industry.
    Food aid destroyed our capacity to work and our agriculture.
    Bahrdar edible oil factory was closed due to aid oil which is toxic damaging the heart of people, producing obesity and gastritis.
    The british are paying equal amount of welfare to a Medical doctor and a lumpen from Ethiopia. This is to deceive Ethiopian intellectuals in UK and at home a lumpen in UK earns more than a EARO scientist! This will force people to move but once moved it is below their expectation. If they were not thinking one day they will return back home they could have been in severe depression.

  19. http://www.ethiofact.com/index.php?/Articles/Get-Your-Facts-Right.html#comments

    Get Your Facts Right
    Written by Tamrat Hailu

    Reply to Mulumebet Asfaw, author of “dechasa addiction”

    I was recently referred by a friend to an article published on Ethiopian Review which portrays Ethiopians living in the UK as dependant on the Welfare system. In fact, the article made a headline by using sensational words like “addiction” and street language like “Dechasa”.

    First of all, my reply is to highlight the achievement of Ethiopian communities in the United Kingdom and put to the test Mulumebet’s “comparative research”, but not to defend those who may abuse the welfare system.

    As far as I am concerned, there is no subject that should be left as a taboo and beyond criticism. However, when we talk about large size of population, we should get our facts right first. Taking small minorities to extrapolate it to larger population using sensational headline such as “addiction” is a sign of ignorance and lack of depth, to say the least. As my favourite humorist, Mark Twain, said: “get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please”

    Therefore, in my humble opinion, Mulumebet, in her pursuit of sensational presentation, made a big mistake by not getting her facts right first before pompously preaching to others.

    To start with, we need to critically question whether what she has written is a true reflection of the life of Ethiopians in the UK. Are they living on welfare handout? How many of them really are abusing the system? How many percentages of the estimated 15-20,000 Ethiopians are dependent on “Dechasa”? Two percent or twenty percent?

    To read the full article

    http://www.ethiofact.com/index.php?/Articles/Get-Your-Facts-Right.html#comments

  22. It’s embarrasing! though it’s true. It’s not only limited to UK. Every dark skinned visitor or diplomatic force is treated as asalym seeker at glance when you are in exclusive shop or restaurant. If you visit Scandanivia or Swiss, in general western Europe at least, they will warn or tell you in a freindly manner the price range. Don’t get mad! Tell them who you are and they will apolgize. they are tired of these free loaders. The railway stations are populated by them. It’s is a disgrace and scary to see little african ghetto!!In Good old America! at least you see the freeloadres in their ghetto.

  23. Hi Mulu,

    Thanks for your specific and truthful findings. I am one of the ethiopian origins in the UK and I can witness that what you raised in your article are of the facts. Those who criticise your research are from the group that has been teaching this shameful behaviour to our newer immigrant generation. Especially, those who stayed longer in the UK, are the ones with track record of long time benefit cheaters, their only experience is in benefit fraud. For that matter, they would have gained decades of work experiences in any sector and got integrated in to the UK society, but instead they preferred chatting, chewing, visiting, etc from year to year and abuse the innocent UK tax payer. I completely agree by your findings and I myself have submitted a proposal on ‘qualification VS experience’ among refugee community. I will attempt to touch all the issues you raised indirectly and expose those lazy people mongers. I will bring my work to ethiopian refugees attention in due course.

    thanks a lot

  24. Mulu, Keep up your good work ! You are actually teaching while you are gathering your data.
    I do not where you resided, but I suggest you to visit Canada as well especially, in Toronto. you will be amazed to see/hear the kind of story . It is Pretty much the same welfare, same “Dechasa”? among same few of our own communties! What interesting for me the most is to hear those excuses! They all nonsense !

    Best reagrds,

    Genet.

  25. The main question I have is, why are Ethiopians prone to resort more towards shortcuts towards leading a prosperous life than others in Africa with the exception of the Nigerians. I live in the US and a good example would be parking lot attendants.

  26. Overall a large number Ethiopians are exceptionally lazy.Be it an immigrant in the UK or a farmer in Ethiopia. There is a tendency to look down on hard work and lack of pride in a job well done. We all know what the famous derogatory term for a house maid is in Addis. “Serategna”

  27. hi,

    first i like to say you are vey brave to bring such a big topic up for discussion. However i have a few questions for you.
    1)Is your reasearch is it back up by some government agency department ?
    2)You mention ethiopians are we talking about the young ethiopians, old , simple mums, 2 parents families etc…because all these groups are effected differently.
    3) You talk about specifically about ethiopian dependency on welfare i’m sure this effects all nationals or are you specifically looking at migrant ethiopians?
    4) i like to mention me & my partner have been here in Uk for more than 17 yrs now & i would say we both have a lot of qualifications but enable to get jobs with decent pay therefore just working in a Call Centre instead at the same time meeting the high cost of childcare fees for our 3 children. We both could of got the above job without our degree. Now you tell me where is the logic in that. Have we failed ourselves or the system let us down. I know the Labour Party have done a lot to increase basic pay etc but still can’t meet the cost of increased petrol price, council tax, rent, high increase of gas & electricy bills, the high increase of food etc AND WE ARE NOT THE ONLY FAMILY WHO FEEL LIKE THIS THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES OUT THERE! i DON’T know what it’s LIKE FOR YOU IN THE USA BUT i am sure this is how it is like in uk so it not just down to laziness there are other factors that you need to consider.
    Lastely, i hope you are writing this and not on some sort of benefit yourself!Ha Ha! Kind regards

  28. If this is what u call a constructive research, you are qualified to work as Foreign Relations Secretary for the Bush administration. i.e. no factual proof, but full of fabrications.

  29. Dear All,
    After reading the article and the comments I asked myself, if I should write any comment or not. With the hope that my comment will make a positive contribution I decided to do so. Here are my points:
    1) Yes, everybody has God given right of option to express herself/himself. But It is not fair to make such a conclusion as the one made by the author of the “study” in the name of research. I am also a researcher and I am sad to say that the “research” done doesn’t at all fulfil research criterias (based on the article I read).
    2)Any research is never meant to condemn or criticize. The culture of a good research is to bring well studied facts on the table and if necessary give suggestions on how to make things better (interventions).Even if the findings are negative the researcher should ask herself/himself Why she/he has conducted the research and never stop there, but passed the status quo ask why things are so and what can be done to make it better (give practical suggestions.) Without this components it is not worth it to conduct a research
    3)Here my experience: I moved to the UK (from Germany) three years ago and set up a private health care company. The first research I conducted was “Challenging Mental and Emotional health among asylum seekers and refugees”. It really broke my heart when I found out that anxiety and depression are very common among Ethiopians in the UK. Now why do I mention this? Our people have so many problems, some are going through hell. Many need emotionl support.At the moment we run different workshops for Ethiopians in the UK focusing on healthy living, emotional health, self-esteem and health, social support and health etc. Please for God’s sake let us be constructive and help each other and make a positive difference rather than wasting our precious time on this planet.
    I will be more than happy, if our sister, the lead researcher of the study, or any other individual or organisation wants to contact me. By learning from our mistakes and by discussing and working together we will be more stronger, we will be in a position to initiate good research and based on the result we will plan intervention programms which benefit the Ethiopians in the UK. And this can be a model even for other countries.
    Many thanks and God bless you all

    Here my mobile phone: 07908278833

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