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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/14/asylum-seekers-village-longford-temporary-accommodation-heathrow
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| ‘Many people died’: odysseys of asylum seekers and the village ‘overwhelmed’ | ‘Many people died’: odysseys of asylum seekers and the village ‘overwhelmed’ |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| As an asylum seeker in Longford, a village on the western fringes of London, you can expect occasional stares from locals who feel their small community sees too large and disruptive a churn of new arrivals. But given the efforts so many expended to reach the UK this may seem a small price to pay. | As an asylum seeker in Longford, a village on the western fringes of London, you can expect occasional stares from locals who feel their small community sees too large and disruptive a churn of new arrivals. But given the efforts so many expended to reach the UK this may seem a small price to pay. |
| “Life is hard in Darfur,” said Badr Mohammed Saleh, 17, sitting on a wall outside his temporary accommodation with two teenage friends, also from Sudan. All are newly arrived in Longford, which became the focus of attention when the BBC reported complaints from locals that coachloads of asylum seekers were constantly being moved in and out. | “Life is hard in Darfur,” said Badr Mohammed Saleh, 17, sitting on a wall outside his temporary accommodation with two teenage friends, also from Sudan. All are newly arrived in Longford, which became the focus of attention when the BBC reported complaints from locals that coachloads of asylum seekers were constantly being moved in and out. |
| “They kill people. My father, my mother, my brother: poom, poom, poom,” Badr said of Darfur, making a handgun gesture to his head. “When I slept I didn’t know if I will wake or if I will die, because of bombs all the time.” | “They kill people. My father, my mother, my brother: poom, poom, poom,” Badr said of Darfur, making a handgun gesture to his head. “When I slept I didn’t know if I will wake or if I will die, because of bombs all the time.” |
| The teenager spent nine days on a boat travelling between Libya and Italy. “For the first four days we had water and food,” he said. “For the second five days no water or anything. For two days the ship [was] not working.” Badr spent more than a month trying to leap on to a train at Calais, eventually succeeding: “Someone held me and I jumped on.” | The teenager spent nine days on a boat travelling between Libya and Italy. “For the first four days we had water and food,” he said. “For the second five days no water or anything. For two days the ship [was] not working.” Badr spent more than a month trying to leap on to a train at Calais, eventually succeeding: “Someone held me and I jumped on.” |
| Worries about disruption to the residents’ lives can perhaps seem trivial set against such odysseys. But villagers stress they do not object to the newcomers, only to their concentration in one small community, and the constant transit of people in and out of the temporary accommodation dotted around the village, next to Heathrow airport. | Worries about disruption to the residents’ lives can perhaps seem trivial set against such odysseys. But villagers stress they do not object to the newcomers, only to their concentration in one small community, and the constant transit of people in and out of the temporary accommodation dotted around the village, next to Heathrow airport. |
| Residents told the Guardian that between 30 and 40 people were staying in Longford at any one time, usually for a couple of days, before new ones arrived. | Residents told the Guardian that between 30 and 40 people were staying in Longford at any one time, usually for a couple of days, before new ones arrived. |
| Amar Sanghera, 30, working behind the bar of the White Horse pub, said asylum seekers had been housed in the village for more than a year, but that the number of them had increased in recent months. | |
| “We’ve got no issue with asylum seekers coming here. It’s not their fault, it’s the government’s fault,” he said. “We don’t mind them coming here as long as they get involved in the local community.” | |
| When a person claims asylum in the UK and has no one to stay with they are generally placed somewhere in the short term, before being moved to longer-term “dispersal accommodation” in towns and cities around the country, while their claim is processed. | When a person claims asylum in the UK and has no one to stay with they are generally placed somewhere in the short term, before being moved to longer-term “dispersal accommodation” in towns and cities around the country, while their claim is processed. |
| If initial accommodation centres are full the new arrivals are sometimes placed for a night or two in a hotel or guesthouse. Longford, where property values have declined because of concerns it could be bulldozed to make way for a third runway at Heathrow, has a number of such places, many converted from houses, and is conveniently close to motorways. | If initial accommodation centres are full the new arrivals are sometimes placed for a night or two in a hotel or guesthouse. Longford, where property values have declined because of concerns it could be bulldozed to make way for a third runway at Heathrow, has a number of such places, many converted from houses, and is conveniently close to motorways. |
| Since 2012, asylum seeker accommodation has been outsourced by the Home Office to three private firms, G4S, Serco and Clearsprings, a process criticised last year by a committee of MPs for excessive costs and sometimes poor standards of lodgings. | Since 2012, asylum seeker accommodation has been outsourced by the Home Office to three private firms, G4S, Serco and Clearsprings, a process criticised last year by a committee of MPs for excessive costs and sometimes poor standards of lodgings. |
| Clearsprings, which holds the contract for London and south-east England, places people in Longford. G4S and Serco also operate in the village, collecting refugees to take to new accommodation elsewhere. Serco apologised on Wednesday after using a stretch limousine to move one group from Longford to Manchester. | Clearsprings, which holds the contract for London and south-east England, places people in Longford. G4S and Serco also operate in the village, collecting refugees to take to new accommodation elsewhere. Serco apologised on Wednesday after using a stretch limousine to move one group from Longford to Manchester. |
| Such arrangements are supposedly just for adults. Those under 18 who are not accompanied are generally housed separately by local authorities. The Home Office had no immediate response to why the Sudanese minors were in Longford. | Such arrangements are supposedly just for adults. Those under 18 who are not accompanied are generally housed separately by local authorities. The Home Office had no immediate response to why the Sudanese minors were in Longford. |
| Clearsprings said it had no comment on residents’ complaints, referring the matter to the Home Office. A Home Office spokesman said the UK had “a proud history” of granting asylum to those who needed it, and provided safe places to stay while cases were dealt with, which were handled by private contractors. | Clearsprings said it had no comment on residents’ complaints, referring the matter to the Home Office. A Home Office spokesman said the UK had “a proud history” of granting asylum to those who needed it, and provided safe places to stay while cases were dealt with, which were handled by private contractors. |
| He added: “We have made clear to our providers that the use of hotels is only ever acceptable as a short-term contingency measure. We are taking steps with providers to ensure that this is the case.” | He added: “We have made clear to our providers that the use of hotels is only ever acceptable as a short-term contingency measure. We are taking steps with providers to ensure that this is the case.” |
| The spokesman declined to say whether the Home Office has asked Clearsprings to distribute asylum seekers more widely. The Home Office has a general policy of not commenting on the location of asylum seekers, given many of them are extremely vulnerable. | The spokesman declined to say whether the Home Office has asked Clearsprings to distribute asylum seekers more widely. The Home Office has a general policy of not commenting on the location of asylum seekers, given many of them are extremely vulnerable. |
| Nonetheless, the presence of asylum seekers in Longford is now well known. Amanda Blain, 28, who works at an aquarium shop in the village, said a number of houses had been turned into temporary accommodation. | Nonetheless, the presence of asylum seekers in Longford is now well known. Amanda Blain, 28, who works at an aquarium shop in the village, said a number of houses had been turned into temporary accommodation. |
| “They have been there a few months, but it’s just getting worse,” she said. “For a little village it’s not the nicest thing. There’s coach loads of them. People are getting annoyed with it.” | “They have been there a few months, but it’s just getting worse,” she said. “For a little village it’s not the nicest thing. There’s coach loads of them. People are getting annoyed with it.” |
| Badr and his new friends, who first met in Longford, were largely oblivious to all this as they shared turns to use a mobile phone held in a union flag case. | Badr and his new friends, who first met in Longford, were largely oblivious to all this as they shared turns to use a mobile phone held in a union flag case. |
| Aziz Mohammed, 16, spent nine day crossing the Mediterranean on a boat run by people smugglers. He had barely left his room since arriving in Longford, he said. | Aziz Mohammed, 16, spent nine day crossing the Mediterranean on a boat run by people smugglers. He had barely left his room since arriving in Longford, he said. |
| Abdul Omar, 16, who had the best English and translated for the trio, said they had all arrived in the UK three days earlier. He also fled Darfur because of the ongoing war, and was helped on to a train in Calais by his uncle, who remains in France. | Abdul Omar, 16, who had the best English and translated for the trio, said they had all arrived in the UK three days earlier. He also fled Darfur because of the ongoing war, and was helped on to a train in Calais by his uncle, who remains in France. |
| Abdul spent a week on a boat from Libya. “Many people died,” he said, simply. “Maybe six people.” | Abdul spent a week on a boat from Libya. “Many people died,” he said, simply. “Maybe six people.” |