The Not So Promised Land

Immigrants - I think it's all wrong because what - they're coming over from their countries claiming off our benefits in England, and I think it's all wrong Creates a lot of resentment don't it? People coming in and from what I can hear people by and large seem to be getting preferential housing treatment for some immigrants. It's not in every case but it can create hostility, yeah. Here usually slept one, two, three four, five people: three here and two there The place I saw him living in, I wouldn't even let a dog sleep there I don't think any man or woman should let people like that live in bad accommodation. Why did you come to the UK? I came, like everyone, to make money! Yeah, it's quite a dramatic change really. We first saw the Poles come over but now we're getting a lot of Slovaks Czechs Slavs We've had the odd Romanian so we're getting quite a few of the Eastern European countries coming over all with the same problems I think - there's a lot of racial tension for EU migrants But when you work with them, you see them as people they're just people No song! I'm Adam Clark and I work for a homeless charity in Bradford called Hope Housing (...so on those grounds of being homeless...) We work with many central and eastern european migrants in the city and we want to look at their stories to learn from them as to why they came to the UK and how life has turned out for them here. Before the UK I came from Latvia but originally I'm from Russia. I had a family in Poland a wife, kids Sebastian which country is it that you've come from? Poland. Why did you decide to come to the UK? [translation] To find work The company I was working at fell apart and I couldn't find another job so I decided to come to England to look for work here When the borders opened in 2004 many people took the opportunity to come to the UK and of the guys that we've spoken to many talked of poverty and hardship before they came some were even homeless and saw this as an opportunity to break free from this I think it's all Eastern Europe it's crisis economic crisis You know, people per month get about £180, £200, it's very good money for one month You have to pay per flat about £120 and You just have £80 left for everything, for food Someone encouraged me to buy a ticket And I came not knowing if I would find work in England but it was so tough in Poland I just remember I was really scared when I was dropped off in Bradford Because for 2 hours no-one met me Eventually "my friend" arrived Often people talk about coming to the UK through a friend but this isn't a friend as you and I would think of The story starts back in their home country where they may have been approached or seen an advert about work in the UK and they're promised a house, a job and a better life but what they don't realize is that the people making this offer are part of criminal gangs involved in human trafficking I was working on a farm in Leeds my working day was 14 hours and I was paid £60 per week one week, £60 I had to quit that job because I got... a hernia I decided to leave where I was staying my "friend" was always demanding a lot of money for accommodation I owed more and more money and that's how I ended up on the streets So, they come to the UK, and they move into a house with about ten other EU migrants It seems to be the same Same old story that's repeated and repeated that - the EU guys refer to them as "gypsies" take their passports and documents and then they work for them but they're working for like £3 an hour, and long hours so they end up leaving and that's how they end up on the streets And they're not entitled to benefits, they've got no ID so they can't get legal work Although they may have come over with good intentions and all the papers six months into their trip here they were in serious problems Within the first week of working for Hope Housing, one of the first things I did was come to a shop on this street and bought back the documents of a guy who was really desparate, and he'd sold his documents for about twenty pounds and they were unable to get the documents back because it was increased to £40, £50 We as Hope Housing agreed to go and pay for these documents, even though we completely disagreed with the corruption so begrudgingly we went into the shop with the guy, and went to the shopkeeper and he pulled out box from underneath the counter, and flicked through just so many documents from people from Eastern Europe and found the guy's documents that he'd had for several months We gave him £40 and the guy was able to go down the same day and get in somewhere to live When British people become homeless they're able to access benefits and move into hostel accommodation but for the majority of EU migrants that we meet even those who have their documents, they're unable to access benefits because they don't meet the requirements of the system and this means that when they lose work and become homeless the only options they have are living on the streets, or in squats One of the guys that we know has offered to take us round some of the squats where EU migrants are living in Bradford When I lived in this squat I slept in this bed with my friend Did you feel safe, when you were living in these places? No. Really no Because - my friends who slept at night in a squat, and the landlord came... (he was from Pakistan) and his friends, and they just with baseball bats, hit us about five people You aren't safe in a squat We had to sneak inside these buildings so that we weren't seen and we couldn't make much noise when we were inside The smell was disgusting, and we were nervous about being discovered Several of the squats had been burned quite badly, and one was on fire just a few months ago and one of the guys that we know really well nearly died from smoke inhalation People live in squats because they don't have anywhere else to go and they might have some work when they come over here, but if they lose that work they quickly become destitute, if they can't afford to pay their rent They might have to leave their accomodation. They might stay with friends for a while but you can't stay on a friend's floor forever and then they have to go in search of something else that's cheaper The cheapest accommodation you can get is an abandoned building which no-one is asking you to pay any rent on So, Waldemar this used to be a building, a factory, or...? Yes, this was an old building a factory No windows, no doors The roof had fallen in Inside... Inside there were rats, pigeons, cats At night it was cold the temperature was the same inside as it was outside I slept in this building for maybe five months Yeah probably one of the biggest challenges that we face, is that nobody actually tells them when they leave Poland that the work situation really demands that they can speak a workable level of English which many of them don't, so it severely restricts their job opportunities severely restricts the way they interact with the agencies that give them benefit and help and that causes ongoing problems, because if we we restrict them benefits then some of them will rob some of them will live a lifestyle which causes problems in the wider society I'm not a politician I'm just an observer of what actually happens on the streets and I think if maybe more help was available to enable them to take their place in work - and many of them really really do want to work - but the language is a big problem We've discovered that there's a rising problem of homelessness amongst people from Eastern Europe in Bradford Do you think there should be some benefits for people that become homeless from Eastern Europe? Well, it's difficult isn't it? They did make the choice to come over here. But on the other hand there are a lot of people who were born in England who are homeless as well Might be a rise in Eastern Europeans, but there are people of British nationality that are homeless. I don't know really... I think.. If they're coming to this country and they really are desparate, then... yeah, certain rules will apply - to them But then you know, bottom line is no-one forced anybody to come over here, did they? You know... They could stay in their country of origin. Might have come here for better opportunities, but on the other hand, if it's not worked out It's difficult isn't it - but then if they've got no money for repatriation, what do they do? So, it's difficult. We work with another project, who help with repatriation and we've seen a real increase in the number of people wanting to return home But there are still many who don't want to go back Some feel they will be seen as a failure others have lost family and some have been homeless before they came to the UK and so have little to return to One of the guys said to me, "if i'm homeless in Bradford," "then I can get free food everyday, and help at Bradford dayshelter," "but in the rural village I lived in, in Poland," "I lost my family, I lost my house, and I literally had nothing." Living in a western country, and a rich country, I believe that it's absolutely appalling that people live in such poverty when others have such wealth Hope Housing aims to prevent anyone from sleeping out on the streets and it does this through having a hosting project, where volunteers who've got a spare room will let people stay in their home so that people don't have to sleep out on the streets We've had many Central and Eastern European migrants staying within this project but unfortunately it's just not best suited to their needs as many of the people who stay within this project are able to move into hostel accommodation quite quickly but for most of the migrants that we work with, this just isn't an option We're currently running a pilot project where we're housing migrants who've previously been homeless They're living within a property, in a local community, and receiving support from Hope Housing and from volunteers from a local church The vision of this project is that migrants will come and live within this house for a short period of time, to get them off the streets, and receive help to find employment Our first two tenants in this property are Waldemar and Jarek who we've worked with over the last year, in different capacities BBC is... down, down [in quality these days] Since filming Waldemar and Jarek we're really excited that they've both found employment and both start a new job on exactly the same day, doing different things But it's really great that, on the third month to the day since they moved into the property, they're entering into employment, and we're really excited about the future for them My experience of people coming to the UK is that we do not come here to get benefits, they come here for work and they're very motivated to work and this is what they want to do But I know, inside I'm not homeless... very soon I will find work The opportunities here are so much greater from when they have come from and this is the hope that they cling onto: that once they get a job that they will do well, and have a good hope and a good future As we spent time with the guys, we discovered that they've all got similar stories They've come to the UK to find work and are so determined to hang onto that dream that they've endured exploitation and living in awful conditions Without continued help, they won't be able to escape this and as far as Hope Housing is concerned whilever there are people sleeping on the streets, and in squats in Bradford then our work is not done And what would be your hopes for the future of some of the people you are working with? That they - that they're off the streets and... working and just living normal happy lives The Franciscan Brothers have really helped me The Franciscan Brothers have really helped me they helped me to change to stop drinking they helped me to change my life Now I'm taking English lessons now I want to finish my course I'm now waiting for my passport, because when I used drugs I lost everything So now I'm waiting for my passport and then I'll try and find a job and I think very soon I'll be okay I have a place to sleep now I have food... work.. Everything's better now I want to thank them for everything they've done I just want to say when I became destitute Hope Housing really helped me Thank you, bye!