"None of us in the hotel want to be there" - an asylum seeker shares the heart-breaking reality of life in a hotel as they await news
A family of asylum seekers staying in Portsmouth have shared their story after fleeing their home because of their Christian faith - and how the recent anti-migrant protests have brought back painful memories.
When Abram and his family hear protesters chanting outside the Royal Beach Hotel, they instantly have flashbacks to what happened in their home country.
They fled from the Middle East because protesters were surrounding Abram’s store and threatening to burn it down. He was imprisoned for more than a month and tortured because of his Christian faith.
‘Abram’, whose name has been changed for this story, his wife ‘Jasmin’, and their sons ‘Jozof’, 8, and ‘Karter’, 6, sold everything they had, boarded a flight to the UK and claimed asylum as soon as they landed. They were placed in the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea nine months ago, but the Home Office has not conducted a single interview with them since.
“It is a real problem for my wife and for my son Jozof, because we had the same situation in our home country,” he said. “People tried to attack our store and wanted to burn it down, because we are Christians. There was a lot of noise then. So when we heard the chanting outside the hotel, my son ran into his room and hid under the bed.
“It was like a flashback and he started to remember what used to happen. We had told my son that we would find a safe place to live, but now he is worried again that we will have the same kind of problems as before.
“The protesters seem to believe that all asylum seekers are bad. I’m sure there are bad people who claim asylum, but there are good people too of all nationalities. They should not assume that we are all the same.
“They think we are living in luxury, but it is an awful life. We are not allowed to work, and we have to stay in the hotel most of the time – our boys would like to be out playing football. We are forbidden to have visitors, which I don’t understand – even people in prison are allowed visitors.
“We are given an allowance of £8 a week, and we are given food that has been reheated or sandwiches. We are grateful for it, of course, but my children aren’t used to some of the spicy food we are given. My wife is also pregnant and her tastes have changed, so we can’t always eat it.
“It is frustrating too, because we applied for asylum legally and did everything we were supposed to do. But nothing has happened, not one interview from the Home Office. There is no consistency either. Some people arrive and are interviewed and hear about their status quickly, and some have been waiting even longer than we have.
“We just don’t know what is happening, and our lives are on hold. I would love to be working and paying taxes, and for no one to be giving me money or food. None of us in the hotel want to be there, and sorting out our status would be good for the Home Office, and would mean this hotel would be empty.”
Abram and his family have found friendship and support at St Simon’s Church in Southsea. They attend worship there and volunteer to help with activities when they can.
Abram said: “The people at this church are like our family. I was born a Christian, so I know that church is a place where people are welcomed. We bring any spare food we have to share with the homeless or others. We try to do what Jesus would have done.”
The vicar, the Rev Jackie Twine, said: “We are privileged to have this family as part of our congregation. They don’t have much, but always turn up with something to share with others. They cannot work, but will often volunteer to help.”
As previously reported by The News, The Royal Beach Hotel is currently being used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers while their claims are being assessed. However it is being slowly being transformed into housing, with the government also pledging to end the use of hotels as temporary accommodation.