A FAMILY of asylum seekers who moved into a £250,000 newbuild home on ‘Migrant Street’ say they “hate” living there and want to leave.
Muhammad Nadeem said he, his wife Shamaila, and their four children have already been attacked by thugs and are terrified of leaving the house.
Muhammad Nadeem and his wife Shamaila, asylum seekers from Pakistan outside the newbuild house in Dutton Close Credit: SWNS
They were forced from their home and into a hotel while their application was processed Credit: SWNS
The dad added that he sleeps in the front room in order to protect his loved ones.
The family fled their native Pakistan two years ago and settled in the UK, a house in Stockport, where Muhammad qualified for a work visa and got a job as an driver.
When the visa ran out they applied for asylum but were forced from their home and into a hotel while their application was processed.
Two weeks ago the couple were forced to take their three daughters and young son 60 miles away to a barely furnished four-bedroom house on Dutton Close, Stoke Heath.
The living room used as a bedroom at the home of Muhammad Nadeem Credit: SWNS
Around 21 newbuild homes on Dutton Close in the remote village have been earmarked for up to 121 asylum seekers Credit: SWNS
Around 21 new-build on the road – originally built for social housing – have been set aside for around 83 asylum seekers to live in.
It comes as the Government pushes ahead with plans to phase out migrant by 2029 and relocate people into “properties and ex-military sites”.
Residents of Stoke Heath are outraged at the prospect of their rural village being over-run with migrants.
Muhammad also says he is desperate to move, saying his family have already been targeted by thugs. The remote location of the village has also left them isolated.
Muhammad, 40, said: “The trouble started the day after we moved in.
“My wife and our kids were outside the house when three people came towards us. We quickly went inside and I locked the door.
“Hours later two people come to the house. One was wearing a mask and they knocked on my door.
“I answered it and they were filming me on a phone. I told them to go away.
Newbuild houses in Dutton Close, in Stoke Heath, Shropshire Credit: SWNS
Notices at the home of Muhammad Nadeem and his wife Shamaila Credit: SWNS
“They walked away and they started shouting what sounded like abuse.”
The family told private security firm Serco about the incidents and now guards patrol the neighbourhood around the clock.
Muhammad said he has emailed the , begging to be moved back to Stockport where the family have friends and relatives.
He said: “I am diabetic, I don’t have a here and the shops are miles away.
“If my bread goes out of date, what do I do? It’s a £10 taxi ride to and £10 back. If I need only bread, it will cost me more than £20.
“What do I do? The Home Office gives us £295 a week for six members. Most of our goes on taxis.
“This is no good for us this place. It’s too rural. I have and back pain.
“We now have security guards outside but we don’t feel safe. We don’t want to be here.
“It is not suitable for us, it is too far for , shops and .
“We’ve been here 15 days and we stay inside most of the time.
“My kids say ‘father can we go outside and play’ but I don’t let them in case they are abused or threatened.
“We left Pakistan because of threats to our family and now we have it here.
“We can’t go to the park, we’re scared. The mobile signal is no good so the gave me an alarm.
“We pull the strap if there are any problems and the police or security come. They gave my daughter a small one.
“I’m too scared for anyone to see my face. My son loves but he can’t play with them.”
Shamaila said she feared for her children’s safety if they did not leave Stoke Heath.
She said: “We are scared to stay in this house. We hate it here.
“My children fear bad people will come to our door like they did on our first night.
“We do not want to live where people do this. Most of the neighbours are nice and smile at us but there are some who are not.
“In Stockport my husband worked, my children had friends and we had family. Here we have nothing and we daredn’t leave the house.”
Muhammad added: “I’m sleeping most of the time here, by the front window.
“But I’m not sleeping, most of the time I’m looking left right, left right.”
Despite struggling to settle in the village, Muhammad said he was determined not to return to Pakistan.
He said: “We left Pakistan because of family problems. Some people have been tortured.
“Pakistan is not safe, some people try to blackmail me. We want to stay in the UK where we were building a life and paying our way.
“We don’t want to be stuck in a new house which could be a home for a local family from the village.
“We just want to get on with our lives like everybody else.”
Home Secretary announced that asylum seekers will not be housed in modern developments in the future. However, the rule change comes too late for Stoke Heath.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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