After finally settling in, I'm being forced to leave my temporary home.

It was 15 August 2021, a day that would forever change my life. My phone buzzed and I answered it with trepidation, knowing that it could bring news of danger or uncertainty. And indeed, it was my job calling, urging me not to come into work that day.

I was working for the International Security Assistance Force at the Kabul airport, a job that I loved and that provided me with a stable income. But with the Taliban taking control of the city, my life was in immediate danger. As someone who worked with NATO and US staff, I was a target for the Taliban.

I had no choice but to flee my home country. It was a difficult decision, leaving everything I knew behind, but I had to think of my safety and survival. I packed a bag and left my home immediately, informing my family of my plans to escape to neighboring Pakistan.

It was fortunate that I left when I did because the Taliban came to my house that same night, asking for my whereabouts. My brother managed to lie and say he didn't know, saving my life.

From Pakistan, I made my way to Iran and then to Turkey, where I stayed for a year while I figured out a plan for my future. I knew I needed to find a way to get to Europe for safety, and after much research, I found a good smuggler who could help me.

It was a long and dangerous journey, crossing borders and taking boats, but I finally arrived in the UK in April of last year. I was relieved and happy to have made it to a country where I could feel safe. I updated my family via WhatsApp to let them know I was okay.

After a brief interview with the Home Office, I was provided with temporary accommodation in Haringey while I waited for my asylum case to be processed. It was a small hotel that housed many other refugees like myself, and it was there that I came across the Haringey Migrant Support Centre.

The support and advice they provided me with were invaluable, and they even connected me with a solicitor who helped me through the asylum process. It was a nerve-wracking time, but I remained hopeful that I would be granted asylum in the UK.

However, my temporary accommodation was about to be taken away from me. The Home Office contractor managing the hotel informed me that they would be closing it down, leaving me with nowhere to go. I was devastated, as I had just started to feel somewhat settled.

I was then told that I would be moved to Napier Barracks, a location far from my support network in Haringey. My local MP intervened, and I was spared from being relocated. However, the Home Office then tried to send me to a barge for asylum seekers, where someone had tragically taken their own life the year before.

I couldn't bear to live in such conditions, and thankfully my lawyer appealed the decision, allowing me to stay in my current accommodation. But now, I face the uncertainty of not knowing where I will be living next. The hotel in Haringey is closing soon, and I will have to accept whatever new accommodation is given to me.

It's devastating to think that I won't be able to go to my local mosque or supermarket anymore, as the distance will be too great and the cost of transportation too high. My life was finally feeling somewhat settled, and this is the last thing I needed before my big Home Office interview.

I'm hopeful that my asylum case will be decided in my favor this week, and I can finally start working and paying for my own accommodation. The backlog of asylum cases needs to be cleared so that people like me can move on with our lives.

Despite the uncertainty, I am grateful to be in a country where I feel safe. My family, who are still in Pakistan, are not as lucky. I worry for their safety and our future, but for now, I am just hoping for some stability in my own life.

My story is just one of many, and I hope that by sharing it, people will understand the struggles and uncertainties that refugees face every day. I am grateful to the Haringey Migrant Support Centre for their help, and I hope that others will also find the support they need.

If you have a story you'd like to share, please get in touch with James via email. Let's continue to share our stories and raise awareness for the struggles and challenges faced by refugees.

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