When protests erupted across Iran in January, the world witnessed the devastating consequences of a brutal government crackdown. Thousands of people were killed, including hundreds of children. For many Iranians, this violence was not new, it was a continuation of the repression they had lived under for years. As the ensuing conflict continues to rage, following the United States-Israeli attacks, we feature Azad’s story.
‘No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark,’ writes the poet, Warsan Shire, and for Azad*, those words capture the impossible choice he faced.
“It wasn’t my choice to leave,” he explains. “I wanted to stay with my family, but they would kill us. They don’t care about nobody.”
Terrifying journey
At just 19, with no safe route or resettlement scheme available, Azad fled Iran. His journey to the UK was perilous: seven days on an overcrowded boat crossing the Mediterranean, followed by a terrifying six‑hour Channel crossing in a dinghy with a failing engine. But he survived, and when he reached the UK, he asked for sanctuary. Two years later, he was granted refugee status.
That moment should have marked the beginning of stability, but instead, Azad was given just 28 days to find somewhere to live. With no savings, landlord references or support network, he quickly became homeless. After four months without a roof over his head, he was referred to Action Foundation.
Thanks to one of our philanthropic landlords, we were able to offer Azad a room in one of our Letting properties and connect him with a dedicated support worker. For the first time in months, he had a safe place to sleep and importantly, someone in his corner.
But shortly afterwards, Azad faced another traumatic ordeal. Walking home from a friend’s house, he was suddenly attacked by a stranger wielding an axe.
“He came up to me and said, ‘I want to kill you’. I ran, but the axe hit my leg. I was so scared,” Azad recalls.
The police later found the perpetrator, who was sectioned due to severe mental health issues. In the aftermath, Azad’s Action Foundation support worker became a lifeline. She liaised with the police, helped him complete the necessary reports, and arranged urgent medical support for his anxiety and insomnia.
She also worked tirelessly to move him into a new flat in a different part of Newcastle, away from the scene of the attack. She secured free furniture and essential appliances and supported his application for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) due to his injury.
“Believe me,” Azad says, “without my support worker I could not have changed my house, got a doctor’s appointment or dealt with the police. It was very hard for me because of my mental health. I kept thinking he was going to try and kill me again. This had never happened in my life.”
Today, Azad is rebuilding his life. He describes his support worker ‘as a sister’ and says Action Foundation feels ‘like a family, sometimes better!’ He now hopes to volunteer with the charity to give something back.
*Azad is a pseudonym to protect our client’s identity. We depend on the generosity of our network of philanthropic landlords to house homeless refugees. Interested in becoming one of Action Foundation’s landlords? Please contact us for more information on how to get involved.
