A Pakistani asylum-seeking family has complained about being moved into a £250,000 newbuild home on a street dubbed 'Migrant Street' in Stoke Heath, Staffordshire, 60 miles from their previous home in Stockport. Muhammad Nadeem, 40, his wife Shamaila, and their four children say they already want to leave due to isolation and safety fears.
Family forced into remote village
The family fled Pakistan two years ago and initially settled in Stockport, Greater Manchester, where Muhammad qualified for a work visa and drove for Uber. When the visa expired, they applied for asylum and were housed in a hotel before being moved two weeks ago to a four-bedroom house on Dutton Close, Stoke Heath. Around 21 newbuild homes on the road, originally built for social housing, have been set aside for about 83 asylum seekers as part of the Government's plan to phase out migrant hotels by 2029.
Muhammad said: "The trouble started the day after we moved in. My wife and our kids were outside the house when three people came towards us. We quickly went inside and I locked the door. Hours later two people came to the house. One was wearing a mask and they knocked on my door. I answered it and they were filming me on a phone. I told them to go away. They walked away and they started shouting what sounded like abuse."
Security patrols and daily struggles
Private security firm Serco now patrols the neighbourhood around the clock after the family reported the incidents. Muhammad said he has emailed the Home Office begging to be moved back to Stockport where they have friends and relatives. He cited health issues and practical difficulties: "I am diabetic, I don't have a GP here and the shops are miles away. If my bread goes out of date, what do I do? It's a £10 taxi ride to Asda and £10 back. If I need only bread, it will cost me more than £20. The Home Office gives us £295 a week for six members. Most of our money goes on taxis."
The family says they stay inside most of the time. Muhammad added: "My kids say 'father can we go outside and play' but I don't let them in case they are abused or threatened. We left Pakistan because of threats to our family and now we have it here. We can't go to the park, we're scared. The mobile signal is no good so the police gave me an alarm. We pull the strap if there are any problems and the police or security come."
Desperate to stay in UK but not in Stoke Heath
Despite the struggles, Muhammad said he is determined not to return to Pakistan: "Pakistan is not safe, some people try to blackmail me. We want to stay in the UK where we were building a life and paying our way. We don't want to be stuck in a new house which could be a home for a local family from the village." He now sleeps in the front room to protect his family, adding: "I'm sleeping most of the time here, by the front window. But I'm not sleeping, most of the time I'm looking left right, left right."
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that asylum seekers will not be housed in modern developments in the future, but the rule change comes too late for Stoke Heath. Residents of the village have expressed outrage at the prospect of their rural community being 'over-run' with migrants.
