“Mahmood” is a 40-year-old Italian national of Bangladeshi heritage who presented at SIFA Fireside. He had been sleeping under a bridge for some time and it appeared that he had been discharged from hospital onto the streets following a suicide attempt. Mahmood presented as confused, distressed, and with a cognitive impairment which prevented him from providing a coherent account of his life experiences, although from the information he was able to provide, it appeared that he had been the victim of modern-day slavery and was forced to work in exchange for food and accommodation until he was no longer deemed of use.
SIFA Fireside’s NRPF team alongside the Homeless Intervention Team (HIT) were able to establish that he had actually been granted pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and that he was lawfully a resident in the UK.
The team worked with Birmingham City Council’s Housing Options team to secure Mahmood emergency accommodation, pending the development of a long-term support plan to get him off the streets.
Emma, our Homelessness Project Worker (Restricted Eligibility) and Jakub, our Adult Navigator (Non UK Nationals)
The team made a referral on his behalf to Adult Social Care, who identified that he has care needs and that he does not have the capacity to make informed decisions. We also worked with the Italian Consulate to secure him a replacement passport to help him make this application, his original passport having been stolen by the individual exploiting him.
Funding for an assisted living placement has been secured, and Mahmood is now free from the threat of further abuse and exploitation whilst in receipt of the support and care he needs.
Could you donate to SIFA Fireside and help support Birmingham’s vulnerable people, just like Mahmood?
Donate now by following this link and thank you, Brum.
