Shouresh fled Iran a year ago as he was scared for his safety - scared for his life in fact, needing to escape the poverty and hardship that he was suffering.
After six months being in the UK his asylum application and appeals have been exhausted and his support - legal, accommodation and money have been stopped. For 2 months he lived on a friend's floor in Rochdale, but then moved to live with a cousin in London. However this is where Shouresh’s luck - if you can call it that - runs out. His cousin has a young family to support and they are living on very little money, their tenancy is due on their property and they can barely support themselves - let alone another person. Shouresh’s cousin and his family will have to move in to their next accommodation without him, rendering him homeless.
Shouresh fled Iran to get away from the threat of persecution and death, however he is now destitute. He is a strong and proud young man but not having any money, any means to support himself and knowing that he is going to become homeless very shortly is having an immense effect on Shouresh. He would rather go to prison that live like this, at least he wouldn’t have to sleep on the streets or resort to begging for money. In fact he is beginning to question why he left Iran, as right now he would actually prefer to die.
At the time of interview this was Shouresh’s first visit to the Refugee Council and he hadn’t yet seen an advisor to be told of Section 4 support.
