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Sara's story

Sara* fled Iran and came to UK in September 2004. She has claimed asylum because of religious persecution and fear for her life. Refugee Action in Leicester helped find her emergency accommodation. We also helped her set up a mother and toddlers group, Babies of the World, and she is now involved with our newly launched Women's Development Project which provides support to refugee and asylum seeking women.

Sara's asylum claim has been refused.

 

"I came here from Iran in September 2004. At first when I arrived at Heathrow airport it was very upsetting and I cried a lot. A man brought me to the UK from Iran and he took my passport and everything from me and left me alone at Heathrow airport and I cried. The police came and asked me for my passport but I didn't have it. It's so painful to remember it. It was so hard - the Immigration Officers put me in a room for hours and hours, including overnight. They didn't seem to care about my welfare at all. It was very cold, I couldn't speak English and I was in that room with three single men. It was so hard. I couldn't sleep until morning and I was with those three men I didn't know.

"The immigration people called my husband who was in Leicester [he had fled Iran previously]. The Immigration people indicated to the green line in the airport which leads out into the airport and that was it. I had no support from anyone. I couldn't find my husband. I stood for half an hour until he found me. I was so nervous I was crying.

Surviving in Leicester

"It was hard to start life in Leicester. We went to a house that NASS had given my husband but after a few weeks they came and said that my husband had to move to Coventry. I was pregnant, although I didn't know it and felt very ill. Three immigration officers came at different times and said different things - one said I couldn't go to Coventry, one said I could. Eventually a woman came and said we had to go to Middlesborough with just one suitcase. When we got there they showed us a house and just said, "go in there." It was a NASS house with a few kitchen things. It was dirty and horrible and someone else was obviously staying there who shouldn't have been because their stuff was there.

"We stayed there without any food for three days. I was pregnant and felt terrible. Sometimes people would come to the house and knock on the door, but when I opened it no-one was there. One night at 3am, the person who's stuff it was came and tried to open the door saying it was his house and we had to leave. I was scared all the time.

"After three weeks the lady came again and said we had to leave the house because my husband's claim was refused.

"Because it was so hard and we had no support we came back to Leicester and stayed at an acquaintance's house. He smoked a lot and had bad friends so we only stayed a short time. I went to Refugee Action several times and cried and told them I had no accommodation. At first Refugee Action said they thought I would have to go to Dover or Leeds, but I said I was pregnant and I couldn't go. I waited in the office for a long time and they found me Emergency Accommodation.

"I got a letter asking me go to court but I couldn't find a solicitor in Leicester. Just imagine how hard it was for me to find a solicitor feeling so ill, with little money and speaking so little English. I didn't see my solicitor until I went to the court, I just spoke to the caseworker and sometimes had no interpreter, just my husband.

"I got £35 cash from the housing provider every week plus £3 extra when I found I was pregnant.  My husband didn't get anything. I applied for a maternity grant of £300 but I got a letter saying I couldn't get any money for the baby.

"It was very hard when I had my baby. I didn't have anywhere to go for a few days after leaving hospital. I was lucky that an Iranian woman I know was visiting her daughter and she looked after me like she was my mother. After a few days Refugee Action helped me to access Section 4 accommodation. 

Living on vouchers

"Now, the only thing I have to live on is vouchers because my claim has been refused. The problem with vouchers is that you can only buy food with them and I need things, especially for the baby. I need nappies, baby clothes or money to get the bus to the doctors. Nobody cares about that. It's a big problem when I go to the supermarket. When you go to pay with vouchers the shop assistant and the customers look at you as if you're a really bad, guilty person. And it takes the sales assistants so long to process the vouchers which holds up the customers and they get angry. I don't like to go shopping. I don't understand why people don't care about us.

"Sometimes I exchange the vouchers for cash with my friend but after the first time they don't want to do it anymore because they get treated so badly. It's a very bad feeling - you can't imagine how bad.

I don't like benefits!

"My life in England is very different to my life in Iran. In Iran I was a teacher, I had my own house, a car, everything. When I compare this life with my own life it's very difficult. I don't understand why the politicians don't care about people with skills. I was very active in Iran but now I can't do anything because I can't get a work permit.

"This life is like you're a balloon between the sky and the earth. You're not settled, you'r not sure about your life, you lose your confidence. But we could be useful! I'm not happy. I don't like benefits! I like to have a real life. I want a job. I want to pay taxes. I don't want to stay at home, I want to improve my life and my son's life. My husband and I have enough experience to really benefit the country and have useful lives.

"We can't go back to Iran - our life is in danger. I want to improve my baby's life. I don't want to take him back to Iran and have the same problems as me. Immigration have to make better decisions about people who can't go back.

"In Iran I was a high school teacher teaching about computing hardware and software. I have done an IT course here every Thursday and finished in two months because I know the subject so well.

Refugee Action's support

"Refugee Action helped me to set up a group called Babies of the World. It is a very good group. Refugee Action supported the group really well. We meet at the library. It's a good place for mothers to share experiences and find friends from the same country. That sort of support is hard to find otherwise. It can be very hard to have relationships with others in this country.

"About 15 women are part of the group including Kurdish, Chinese, Somalian, Nigerian and myself. Every week we can meet and chat together - it makes life less boring. Refugee Action also arranged for the mothers to have English classes while we meet. This is very good because the mothers can't go to normal classes at college because of their babies. They are more useful than college classes because they teach us daily language that is useful for the shops, or for when you go to the GP - it's a very quick way to learn English. We also have social events - we went for a picnic which was really great for the mothers and the babies. We went to a farm and spent all day together, everyone enjoyed it.

"Everyone gives each other support about their problems, although because some can't speak good English we sometimes have problems communicating together. Still, it was good because we can take the babies to the group and they learn how to be around other people and be in a different place. Now I have the confidence to also go to a social services playgroup.

An uncertain future

"I left Iran because my life was in danger because I had changed religion from Islam to another religion. I am proud of myself for doing that because I found my way in life. Unfortunately, the UK Home Office haven't accepted my reason. In court they said, 'you're a liar and you have to leave.' But I don't think one person should be able to make a decision on a person's life like that.

"Simon (a caseworker) at Refugee Action has helped me so much. He arranged for me to get accommodation and vouchers. He also gave me a list of solicitors, but no-one would accept my case after it had been refused. I don't know what I will do. I have been asked to leave the country, but I can't go back to Iran. I am trying to find a solicitor because now I have good evidence that someone who converted to my religion was tortured and killed in Iran.

"Maybe my story's useful - I hope so."

 

* Sara's name has been changed to protect her identity.

 

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