Transcript

SYEDA AKBAR

Southall Black Sisters really very generously provided us accommodation, then it took them the whole day to search out the process and filled out my NASS accommodation application forms, took advice from the solicitor. I think it was the same day, when we were accommodated to Thornton Heath, which was a temporary accommodation. It’s a hostel where Home Office gives temporary accommodation with the support of NASS, National Asylum Seekers Support, while we wait for our accommodation where will we go. And after three months, me and children, we were dispersed to Coventry in September 2014. If you apply for National Asylum Seekers Support, they can accommodate you anywhere so it’s not Coventry, they could just place you anywhere wherever they have accommodation.

When we went to Coventry, and then we weren’t in the town centre also, so we were in the outskirts of Coventry, so really isolated, lonely area. So, it wasn’t a good experience. Three of us we really struggled to integrate and to rebuild our lives. Boys were alright after some time because they did get their schools sorted out and everything. It was me, I was really locked up in the house, and that really deteriorated my mental health services because I was having my counselling and I was engaged with the support groups meeting people and I didn’t know anybody, so it was just like a strange place