Destitute Refugee Attacked on the Streets of Glasgow
ncadc | 21.04.2004 09:11 | Anti-racism | Migration
As we wrote this, a quiet, gently spoken young Iranian 'asylum seeker', Ali Mohammed Sadegh, was asleep in the back of our office...We would not normally allow this but then this is not a normal situation. On Friday 16th April at 11.30 pm, Ali was viciously beaten and stabbed by a group of 6 white men in what we believe was a racially motivated crime...Ali has been absolutely destitute for seven months. He has absolutely nowhere else to go but the street where he, and many others like him, have been forced out of their homes after being deemed 'failed asylum seekers'.
Illustrating the disgrace of the UK's asylum & immigration policy
Ali Mohammed Sadegh - a personal story
Positive Action in Housing wishes to highlight the utterly inhumane treatment of one of our clients as a result of an asylum and immigration policy that has absolutely no regard for human life.
As we wrote this, a quiet, gently spoken young Iranian 'asylum seeker', Ali Mohammed Sadegh, was asleep in the back of our office. (Our offices are in disarray this week because they are being painted; our staff are doing their best to deliver a one to one service to people whose dignity has been assaulted at almost every step of the asylum process).
A room divider that we normally use for separating break out rooms gave him a bare bit of privacy to rest and think. We would not normally allow this but then this is not a normal situation. On Friday 16th April at 11.30 pm, Ali was viciously beaten and stabbed by a group of 6 white men in what we believe was a racially motivated crime. They held a knife to his throat, called him a black bastard and a f***ing refugee bastard, demanded his money which he handled over, £40. They then stabbed him seven times in the back and kicked his head in repeatedly, leaving him for dead. Ali left hospital last night despite having no where to go.
What was he doing out at that time of night when he was attacked?
Ali has been absolutely destitute for seven months. He has absolutely nowhere else to go but the street where he, and many others like him, have been forced out of their homes after being deemed 'failed asylum seekers'. On some occasions he kept out of the cold and away from danger on the streets by riding the buses across Glasgow during night time. This appears to be a regular pattern for many asylum seekers in his situation. At the time of his attack, he was waiting for the night time bus.
Ali's lawyer referred him to Positive Action in Housing in January 2004. A month before he attempted an overdose and spent three nights in the western infirmary - at least then he had a bed. We arranged for him to be assessed by a psychiatrist who made it clear that he has mental health issues and should under no circumstances be left on the street. Ali is denied any benefits whatsoever or the right to work. Despite this he has 'signed on' weekly with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at Festival Court, Govan.
Since he was forced out onto the street, Ali has been through the Social Work Department, NHS, Scottish Refugee Council, Glasgow Association for Mental Health (GAMH) and Refugee Survival Trust. GAMH gave a letter of support but Ali was not qualified for assistance for all the other agencies.
Positive Action in Housing is assisting Ali and others in his position because there is absolutely no other service available to refugees who are made destitute by the government's asylum & immigration policy. What have we done? We are paying for accommodation for Ali and giving him a small amount of cash provided from donations given by individuals and trade unions to our Hardship Fund. We receive no other funding to do this.
After 7 months on the streets, after being rejected by almost everyone he has went to for help Ali has given up on being able to secure refuge in the UK. Ali is unable to return to Iran because if he does he faces being jailed and tortured. He is considering leaving for another country altogether. We are exploring ways in which we can help him.
The reason we are sharing Ali's story is because he typifies the experience of so many refugees who are systematically denied:
a) their basic human rights to food shelter and clothing by the government's asylum and immigration policy,
b) support from local authorities who are not allowed to give them 'recourse to public funds'.
c) Charitable help once they become starving and homeless by the very charitable and voluntary organisations who were set up to respond to people at this level of desperation because of the government's asylum and immigration policy.
Robina Qureshi, Director, said:
"So long as the government abdicates its human rights responsibilities, Positive Action in housing will continue to provide a service to destitute refugees with donations provided by individuals, churches, trade unions and others.
And we will continue to highlight and expose the true scale of the problem of destitute refugees in Scotland."
You can send a message of solidarity/support
for Ali Mohammed Sadegh c/o
home@paih.org
Source for this message, inquiries/further information:
"Positive Action in Housing"
home@paih.org
http://www.paih.org/
--
Ali Mohammed Sadegh - a personal story
Positive Action in Housing wishes to highlight the utterly inhumane treatment of one of our clients as a result of an asylum and immigration policy that has absolutely no regard for human life.
As we wrote this, a quiet, gently spoken young Iranian 'asylum seeker', Ali Mohammed Sadegh, was asleep in the back of our office. (Our offices are in disarray this week because they are being painted; our staff are doing their best to deliver a one to one service to people whose dignity has been assaulted at almost every step of the asylum process).
A room divider that we normally use for separating break out rooms gave him a bare bit of privacy to rest and think. We would not normally allow this but then this is not a normal situation. On Friday 16th April at 11.30 pm, Ali was viciously beaten and stabbed by a group of 6 white men in what we believe was a racially motivated crime. They held a knife to his throat, called him a black bastard and a f***ing refugee bastard, demanded his money which he handled over, £40. They then stabbed him seven times in the back and kicked his head in repeatedly, leaving him for dead. Ali left hospital last night despite having no where to go.
What was he doing out at that time of night when he was attacked?
Ali has been absolutely destitute for seven months. He has absolutely nowhere else to go but the street where he, and many others like him, have been forced out of their homes after being deemed 'failed asylum seekers'. On some occasions he kept out of the cold and away from danger on the streets by riding the buses across Glasgow during night time. This appears to be a regular pattern for many asylum seekers in his situation. At the time of his attack, he was waiting for the night time bus.
Ali's lawyer referred him to Positive Action in Housing in January 2004. A month before he attempted an overdose and spent three nights in the western infirmary - at least then he had a bed. We arranged for him to be assessed by a psychiatrist who made it clear that he has mental health issues and should under no circumstances be left on the street. Ali is denied any benefits whatsoever or the right to work. Despite this he has 'signed on' weekly with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at Festival Court, Govan.
Since he was forced out onto the street, Ali has been through the Social Work Department, NHS, Scottish Refugee Council, Glasgow Association for Mental Health (GAMH) and Refugee Survival Trust. GAMH gave a letter of support but Ali was not qualified for assistance for all the other agencies.
Positive Action in Housing is assisting Ali and others in his position because there is absolutely no other service available to refugees who are made destitute by the government's asylum & immigration policy. What have we done? We are paying for accommodation for Ali and giving him a small amount of cash provided from donations given by individuals and trade unions to our Hardship Fund. We receive no other funding to do this.
After 7 months on the streets, after being rejected by almost everyone he has went to for help Ali has given up on being able to secure refuge in the UK. Ali is unable to return to Iran because if he does he faces being jailed and tortured. He is considering leaving for another country altogether. We are exploring ways in which we can help him.
The reason we are sharing Ali's story is because he typifies the experience of so many refugees who are systematically denied:
a) their basic human rights to food shelter and clothing by the government's asylum and immigration policy,
b) support from local authorities who are not allowed to give them 'recourse to public funds'.
c) Charitable help once they become starving and homeless by the very charitable and voluntary organisations who were set up to respond to people at this level of desperation because of the government's asylum and immigration policy.
Robina Qureshi, Director, said:
"So long as the government abdicates its human rights responsibilities, Positive Action in housing will continue to provide a service to destitute refugees with donations provided by individuals, churches, trade unions and others.
And we will continue to highlight and expose the true scale of the problem of destitute refugees in Scotland."
You can send a message of solidarity/support
for Ali Mohammed Sadegh c/o
home@paih.org Source for this message, inquiries/further information:
"Positive Action in Housing"
home@paih.org http://www.paih.org/ --
ncadc
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