The Dispossessed: Charity rescues refugee from sleeping on London streets
Fearing for his life, Sabaratnam Myuran left his home and family in Sri Lanka to find safety in London after being hunted by the country's army.
But within months of arriving in the capital, the 33-year-old Tamil was sleeping on the streets. He had sought asylum in Britain last year after he narrowly avoided death several times at the hands of the Sinhalese, Sri Lanka's majority ethnic group. He was taken to Salford where he was put up by the National Asylum Support Service.
When they cut off their support he was forced to rely on the generosity of friends in Enfield, while he waited for his application to be processed.
After eight months there were no developments and he could not gain access to his money in Sri Lanka. He was asked to leave his friend's home.
With no entitlement to benefits, the father of two had no choice but to sleep rough. "I slept on park benches but got moved on to the streets by police. I felt terrible. At home I had been doing reasonably well running my own transport company," he said.
"I never in my wildest dreams thought I would undergo such difficulties in London - I'd only heard how wonderful it was." He sought help from the Tamil Welfare Society in Edmonton who sent him to see a solicitor, who put him in touch with Cross Culture Mission, a charity that works with the disadvantaged and vulnerable, who found him accommodation.
"CMM gave me a room in Wallington. I am relieved and not anxious any more about my safety but I am still anxious about my wife and children in Sri Lanka.
"My aim in life is to do well and take care of my family, so should they allow me to stay in the UK then I shall certainly endeavour to bring them here."
James Anderson, of CCM, said: "CCM offers short-term housing to individuals who cannot access housing assistance from the state, asylum seekers waiting for applications to be processed, people fleeing domestic violence, the homeless.
"A grant from the Standard's Dispossessed Campaign will help us to house more vulnerable individuals and move closer to meeting the demand for shelter and aid."
