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Besart The reason I moved to England is because of the war and most of my family were killed. I wanted to escape the suffering and torture I was going through. The word to describe the reason I left Kosovo is Persecution, not to end up dead as the rest of my family. The pull factor for coming to UK was a safe heaven where no one would be able to harm me, and I wanted to go somewhere where I can forget the torture and pain caused by the war. The most important factor is safety. My journey started at the back of a farmer's tractor, they were collecting survivors and trying to get them to safety, and I ended up in Macedonia. Then I met an agent through an old friend of my father and I we had to pay him to £3000 to send me to UK. From Macedonia I travelled on the back of a lorry with some other people to Belgium and form there we jumped on another lorry until we reached England. I entered illegally in Dover. At the beginning it was very hard for me to survive, especially as I did not know any English. I did not have any family, I was hungry and dirty and I did not know who to approach to get assistance for the basic things. Finally I got caught by the police in Dover and they send me to the immigration office in London where I registered as an asylum seeker. The interview there was very frightening as they kept asking lots of questions and in my mind was the fear that they are going to send me back and I would then get killed and I could not take the thought. As I was 15 years old when I came here, I approached social services
and they send me in foster home. I found a family, food to eat,
and roof over my head. Social services were paying the family to
look after me. During this time I studded English and Italian language,
I did GCSE and A levels in IT and I also did a forklift course.
When I came I could not work but as soon as I progressed with the
language and got qualified I started working in a building company
driving a forklift. I was paid £25.00 for a full day work
while I worked same as others who were being paid more than double
of my pay. I needed the work as I wanted to support my self the
better I could and they benefited because of this. I was discriminated
because of being Kosovan and I was also bullied. I was asked to
do things which were physically very difficult for me because of
my age and my physical ability but I could not argue back or protect
myself as I needed the work. I kept quit about any abuse or discrimination
I received and I was afraid to contact the police because I was
scared they may send me back (i was refused in 2005). Since I was refused I have moved accommodation 3 times. I have lived with two other friends as we shared the rent together but landlords have always abused us asking for more money towards the rent. They understood our position, being illegal here, and they have exploited us as much as they could. Currently I am working in central London and the pay is good. I can afford the rent, food etc. I found this work because I had the NI card which was made available to me before I was refused and I did not need to use false ID documents. But every time they ask for documents to be shown to them I am afraid I would loose the job or that they will be able to find out that I am illegal here. I do not go out because of being afraid I would be picked up and send back so I am living in fear all the time. I can not approach the police and i am lucky not to have had any medical needs to go in hospital. Being an illegal immigrant is very difficult for me and the hardest things are not being accepted and not being looked and judged as equal by others. It is very difficult to survive in terms of everyday needs like finding job, accommodation, socialising. I have become attached to Britain and British life; this is my
new life now. I am fond of the culture here and it has become my
own culture, I feel British in my heart. I came 15 yrs old, wanting
to forget the past and I found my future in UK. It was England that
saved my life and gave me a new life and things to look forward
and hope. I just wish now that the home office regularise my statues
and makes me legal. I am and would be grateful to UK for giving
me a chance to live, start fresh and enjoy life as I and any one
else should. The three best things for me if I am regularised would
be:
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