Karzan
Kazan and his wife Shewa claimed asylum in 2010 after fleeing Iraq. In the last 8 years, they have been threatened with eviction without a court order by 3 different asylum landlords - ymca, Orchard Shipman and now Serco.
They have been intermittently destitute while the Home Office stops and starts their support. Karzan reflects on the situation he finds himself him in.
“I envy those who can go to work and pay their rent and live normal lives. This destitution has become normal for us but I want to work. In the streets people sometimes shout “go back to where you came from”. “We have learnt to be patient while our years are wasted. There is no other choice. Positive Action in Housing stood by us through all those years. I wish the home office would give us our papers so that we can give back to Glasgow by paying taxes into the community.”
In 2012, the young couple were amongst 156 asylum seekers threatened with eviction by Y People/YMCA when the red road flats existed. Positive Action in Housing provided weekly crisis grants, and helped them find good legal support and their support was reinstated. Four years later, Orchard Shipman, tried to evict them. “We were afraid to leave home for college or the doctors or for even food in case we returned to find they’d changed the locks”. When Serco took over the asylum contract, the couple stayed on in their flat while their solicitor pushed their case. In March 2018, the couple’s section 4 support was reinstated.
We were afraid to leave home for college or the doctors or for even food in case we returned to find they’d changed the locks