We have all encountered daft bureaucracy in our time: the hospital that asks you to fill in a form before it will operate on your broken hand; the bank that won’t let you open an account until you have an address, even though to rent somewhere you usually need a bank account; the work experience you need to get a job when without a job it is hard to get work experience.
Absurd situations that would be laughable if they weren’t so serious.
And they don’t get much more serious than the case of Nasir. He escaped Eritrea, made the perilous journey north, and was granted asylum in the UK. But that’s where his problems started...
Ironically, while new arrivals are seeking asylum, they get accommodation (not always great) and money (not very much – £37 a week). But once they get refugee status, these are both removed. The expectation is that they will swiftly find their own place to live, and secure work or claim mainstream benefits.
The reality is that few do. The majority end up destitute or homeless, according to new research by the Guardian and the Refugee Council. Nasir was no exception. Read his story, as told to Sarah Marsh, here.
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All the best
Mark Rice-Oxley
Head of special projects, the Guardian
mark.rice-oxley@theguardian.com
