Yassin’s Story

Yassin escaped war and violence in Sudan for a safe life in the UK. With support from Your Place, his confidence is growing, and this summer he represented England at the Homeless World Cup in Seoul.
“I’m originally from Sudan; in 2020 it became too dangerous to stay, so I made the long journey to the UK. It took around a year to get here, and some of the things I saw during that time will stay with me forever. I desperately wanted a new life and to escape the war. Back in Sudan I was a trained electrician, and I wanted to use my skills in the UK.
“After arriving, I was in Home Office accommodation for four months in Kent, which was really difficult. I didn’t know where I was, or how long I would be there. This was at the start of the pandemic, so people were getting sick all the time, including me, and it was impossible to stay safe from the virus.
“When I finally got an appointment for my refugee status, I was so happy. I felt like I could start living my life again. But once my status was confirmed, I was evicted from the Home Office accommodation, and I had nowhere to go. I was homeless in a country where I knew no one, I didn’t even know the local town, so I didn’t know where to go or what to do. The racist abuse was really bad; I couldn’t even go to the local shop without being told to “go back home”. Everything felt really unsafe. When I was in Home Office accommodation, I was going to college to improve my English, but when I was sleeping on the streets, I was robbed and left with nothing. I couldn’t go to college any more. I had no money for food, showers, clothes, or anything, and no way to get there, so the college told me I was being taken off the course for low attendance.
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"I was so happy the day they told me I could come off the streets and into my own room."
“Once I got in touch with the council, I got an interview with Your Place, and I was so happy the day they told me I could come off the streets and into my own room. I was so pleased to be somewhere safe and warm. I started making friends here, and I’m now back in college to improve my English.
“I made a friend who was playing street football, and through that I was introduced to the homeless team. They watched me play and told me to come for training, and other than getting to regularly play football, the best thing has been meeting people from around the world.
“Jackie [my key worker] has been so helpful to me. If I need anything, I can go to her. She believes in me, and says she’s proud of what I’m achieving. I’ve started a Your Place football team and we practice every Friday together. Building a community was so important to me when I moved to this country, and it’s so good that I get to do that through a shared passion of football.
“This year I was called to represent England and I’m really proud. The Homeless World Cup was in South Korea this year, and FIFA flew the teams out there to play. Being able to visit a new country was so exciting. I got my passport for the first time thanks to the support I’m getting at Your Place, and my English is really improving, so I’m going to be doing my electrician training soon while continuing with my passion for football.”
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"I was so pleased to be somewhere safe and warm. I started making friends here, and I’m now back in college to improve my English."
