Transcript

SYEDA AKBAR

It was really, really difficult but, yes, now by God’s grace, it’s sorted out. Last year, we got, me and the boys, we got our recognised leave to remain as refugees, and after that, six months after getting leave to remain, that was again a very hard process because, then, the NASS accommodation immediately after 28 days takes your housing away. They stopped the money – what they were giving, and everything is stopped, and then you have to go through the system again, and that transition period is so scary because there’s no support, there’s no financial support.

So, there was a joy and there was trauma. So, joy was at least no-one’s throwing us away and we were alive and we weren’t going to get killed. Our boys will not be taken away from me, and I won’t get lashes or all that thing at my back, whatever the fatwa stated, so that was a joyful thing, and it was traumatic again because, again, that NASS accommodation was at least a shelter for three and a half years, and then again you did not know, and you had to prove everything again. The saddest thing was that I had the letters from Home Office. I had the letters they had been given leave to remain. I had a termination of contract letter from NASS board, and I showed it to council but you, again, have to prove everything to them. It’s a very traumatising process. I just don’t understand how the system works. I just don’t understand if this is the law or this is the attitude of the people. I just don’t understand.