Immigration matters
Refugee speaks out as councillors clash over housing pressures and immigration by Sajjad Jabarkhel, speech at Somerset Council Full Council, May 22nd, 2025
My name is Sajjad, and I am originally from Afghanistan. I currently live in the UK as a refugee. I am here to speak against [the Conservative] motion—not because I dismiss the real and growing pressures on housing in Somerset, but because I believe it risks misrepresenting the challenges we face and, more importantly, the…
Read MoreBBC shine a light on home office visa “unnecessary distress” on critically ill Somerset woman.
Following my last blog update on the difficulties being faced by one family from Evercreech, because of heartless Home Office visa rules, the BBC is now covering their story, online and on radio, with TV coverage possible as well. I was interviewed by the BBC for the radio report and by BBC Online. This latest…
Read MoreGovernment immigration harmful rules create hardship and distress to Somerset family
Just over a year ago I was elected as a Somerset Council Unitary Councillor. This was also when I met Teddy and Sos and learned of the terrible circumstances they were living in, due to cruel Government legislation around Sossa’s visa status (she is a US citizen). Since then we have taken their visa application…
Read MoreNational Press Support Evercreech Couple’s Plea for Help
Since my blog article about Teddy’s and Sossa’s desperate situation, The Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Somerset Live have all covered their story. Their GoFundMe page has seen an incredible response since this wider publicity, achieving their first fundraising milestone and they are about to hit their next target. Teddy and Sossa are constituents in…
Read MoreWhen bureaucracy harms
Should bureaucracy, whether intentionally or not, cause people to suffer? This is the discussion I have been having with Teddy and Sossa, who along with their four-year old son live in Evercreech, Somerset, (a village near Shepton Mallet) that I represent. We know many people are suffering because of the cost of living crisis, in…
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