A FAMILY of illegal immigrants awaiting deportation pleaded with a council for help to buy food and pay rent - but were turned away with just £10.
Zahid Hussain, 54, his 46-year-old wife Rubina Zahid, and their son Faraz Zahid, 16, say they have no money and are facing eviction.
But because their visas to stay in Britain have expired, the authorities say they are restricted in the help they can provide.
The family came to Britain from Rawalpindi, Pakistan in March last year.
Mr Hussain intended to go back, but wanted Rubina and Faraz to stay so that the boy could get a British education.
In August, mother and son applied for leave to remain in the country, on the basis that Rubina's late father had been a British citizen who had lived in Bury.
Appeals
Faraz started attending Salford City Academy in Eccles, in the hope of taking GCSE exams.
But the family's application to stay in the country, and the appeals that followed, were refused by the Home Office.
The family now say they are resigned to going back to Pakistan and will return voluntarily - but they have no money to pay for their airfares.
They say when they went to Salford council offices at Sutherland House, Swinton, and explained that they were surviving on charity food parcels.
There, a worker gave them a form to sign before giving them £10.
Mr Hussain, who is living at Liverpool Road, Eccles, said: "I'm a respectable person and the way I was treated made me feel ashamed and stupid. I would not have gone to the council if I was not desperate.
"We have nothing to eat and we have not paid the landlord in months. We could end up on the street."
The UK Border Agency has backed Salford council's actions and has said that illegal immigrants are 'expected to leave'.
Survive
But the family say since they spent their savings while trying to gain legal status in Britain, they would like the state's help to survive before they go home.
A solicitor the family has instructed has written to Salford council to say that withholding support may be a breach of their human rights.
Coun John Murphy, Salford's lead member for community health and social care services, said: "Salford City Council has been working with a number of other agencies and charities to help the Hussain family as much as possible.
"There are restrictions on how much help the city council can offer from public funds as the Hussains are in the country beyond the time their visa allows.
"One way we are allowed to help is with one-off, emergency cash payments. These are small amounts of money to address an immediate and pressing need, particularly where the welfare of a child is concerned.
"The city council will continue to assist the Hussain family where it can, in partnership with other agencies and charities, while the family waits for a return flight to Pakistan."
A spokeswoman for the UK Border Agency said: "Anyone who is in the UK illegally will be expected to leave. Individuals have ample opportunity to leave voluntarily and reintegration assistance may be provided for doing so. However, if someone refuses to leave voluntarily we will not hesitate to enforce their removal."
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Harsh as it might be, but tough.
you all came over to this country illegally and you expect sympathy, financial backing, accomodation, education for your children, free health care etc etc, you get caught out and sent home, i really don't see a problem here !
i'm a British national, worked all of my life and still struggle to make ends meet, but i certainly don't expect (let alone demand) that anyone else helps me.
wanted Rubina and Faraz to stay so that the boy could get a British education.? Education costs a fortune do these people think we vare a charity for the world ,the people of britain who work hard to make ends meet and struggle are not working hard for parasites like these,iM SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE LIKE THESE AND A GOVERNMENT THAT ALLOWS IT. While we have people in britain dying through lack of healthcare and people like these Expect free education.And they think that we should feed them while they are deported.This is totally WRONG.THEY SEEM TO FIND MONEY TO GET TO BRITAIN EASILY.AND FEED THEMSELVES WHILE THEY COME HERE.ITS NOW TIME TO STOP THIS TOTAL RIPOFF.
Is this news story supposed to elicit some degree of sympathy ? One word in the opening paragraph sets the tone as far as I'm concerned and that is 'illegal.' Bear in mind that their visas have expired, they were obviously aware of this date of expiration, so what is the problem now ? I don't often agree with Salford city council but on this issue I'm sure most people would support that decision.
What do they want, they're illegals? The trouble is, they see too many people get away with it. Why should my hard earned tax be given to anyone wanting to stay in the country illegally? Too much of this is going on, somebody donate an air ticket quickly please before the human rights lawyers get hold of them!
What's with the photograph showing them holding onto my £10 note looking miserable. My partner, who's worked all her life and is 51 years old and disabled is now unfortunately out of work and is desperately looking for a job but fears employers think she's too old, she's been told that because she's claimed for 6 months her job seekers will stop. So a lifelong taxpayer will get no more help, why should they???
Before anyone jumps onto the bandwagon, I'm not a racist!! I've been good friends with many people from an ethnic background. I'd feel exactly the same about British people claiming what they are not entitled to.
"A solicitor the family has instructed has written to Salford council to say that withholding support may be a breach of their human rights"
Too late, human rights has been mentioned!!
"One way we are allowed to help is with one-off, emergency cash payments. These are small amounts of money to address an immediate and pressing need, particularly where the welfare of a child is concerned.
Child??? how old is he?? he looks about 20
Once again its the tapayer who has to pay the airfare and the welfare of these theives who find the money to get to britain and live off the state and expect the the taxpayers to pay for their welfare,its out and out theft.Whichever way you look at how they look at their situation.
No sympathy whatsoever. In fact this makes my blood boil.
Why oh why don't we insist that anybody given a Visa to visit the UK has evidence of a return plane ticket and funds. That is what we would need to do when entering countries where we needed a Visa.
Some friends of ours emigrated to oz last year and had to put into a bank account £20,000 for health care incase they had problems and they had to prove that they were not going to be a drain on the austrailian citizens by getting their son who has lived and worked in oz to be a referee (Guarantee that they will not be a burden) On the country.Why are we so stupid as a nation and the government allow the taxpayer to be ripped off by these scroungers from the rest of the globe.We are not a country that gives free education/healthcare/housing to anybody who just walks into britain...very anoyed at this country we live in.
Dear me Ace.all that shouting.This must have really got your goat.What do these people think they are,asking for state handouts?Disabled?They'll be asking for a Mobility car next.Kick them while they're down,thats the British way to deal with them.The diabolical cheek thinking they can come here to make a better life,get their son educated and possibly make some future contribution to society shouldn't be allowed.
They are ILLEGAL immigrants they shouldn't have been given the £10!
I have no sympathy at all! Can't they be deported any quicker? Or get help from their own Embassy?
Surely everybody is entitled to food and a roof until they are sent back. This is a scene out of the Robert Mugabe office.
I know pensioners who have to survive off £10 and i know quite a few who have to switch off the heating in winter to pay the bills where are their human rights.NO I DONT HAVE ANY SYMPATHY FOR THESE PEOPLE They put our own people at risk by taking money out of our NHS and benefits system by overloading it.With free legal aid and the cost of airfairs and upkeep while they wait.
ACE FOR PM.He expresses what MOST right thinking people believe,unlike one Mr.Brown!
Can any of you sympathisers tell me of any other country in the world where I could go illegally and get the same or better treatment?
If they were so desperate for that tenner then why dont they spend it instead of holding it up for a press photographer!!!
Couldn't have been that desperate for a tenner if they managed to hang on to it until the photo shoot, I know people who would have had to spend it on food etc immediately, not wait for the media to attend.
Memo to Esso Blue,If you think that this is a scene from Robert Mugabe,s office,you obviously do not know Zimbabwe.Believe me Esso Blue there is no one rushing to enter this tyrant,s odious country unlike here where immigrants seem to be fighting each other to get on the lorries to bring them in.The next memo is to Lebist of Blackley,nobody minds if a person comes to the UK in order to make a better life for himself has long has he has been invited here in the first place,these three people are ILLEGAL immigrants and should be sent back to their own country with the best possible speed
'Mr Hussain, who is living at Liverpool Road, Eccles, said: "I'm a respectable person and the way I was treated made me feel ashamed and stupid.'
NO YOU ARE NOT, YOU ARE HERE ILLEGALLY SO HOW CAN THAT MAKE YOU RESPECTABLE?
'A FAMILY of illegal immigrants awaiting deportation pleaded with a council for help to buy food and pay rent - but were turned away with just £10.'
AND? PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE ALL THEIR LIVES DONT GET THAT MUCH!
'Zahid Hussain, 54, his 46-year-old wife Rubina Zahid, and their son Faraz Zahid, 16, say they have no money and are facing eviction.'
HAD THEY HAVE BEEN HERE LEGALLY AND WORKED, THEN THEY WOULDNT BE IN THIS MESS WOULD THEY?
'But the family's application to stay in the country, and the appeals that followed, were refused by the Home Office.'
WHY ARE THEY STILL HERE THEN? SURELY THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEPORTED INSTANTLY?
'But the family say since they spent their savings while trying to gain legal status in Britain, they would like the state's help to survive before they go home.'
THE STATE WILL BE HELPING-WHO WILL END UP PICKING UP THE BILL FOR THE RETURN FLIGHTS???
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF JONNY FOREIGNER COMING OVER, TRYING TO MILK THE COUNTRY FOR WHAT THEY CAN, THEN MOANING ABOUT THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS WHEN THEY DONT GET THEIR OWN WAY-IF PEOPLE LIKE THIS DONT LIKE IT, DONT COME OVER IN THE FIRST PLACE-THERE ARE ENOUGH PEOPLE OVER HERE WITH THEIR OWN PROBLEMS WITHOUT HAVING OTHER COUNTRIES CAST OFFS COMING AND ADDING TO THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THE STATE.
GO-NOW!!!!!
My view is that they have been caught and in the meantime they need food and shelter. If the local Council are refusing a decent amount of money to live and pay the rent until they are evicted then they should have a concentration camp somewhere where they can get food and lodgings until their flight.
Robert Mugabe lets you die if you don’t fit the picture and at the moment it seems ( although things are not always what they seem) the council think that this family don’t fit the picture. The only other option is for the Asian community or another caring community to offer help.
WELL THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF LOOKING SAD AND DOWN AND OUT DON'T THEY?? I THINK IT'S PATHETIC!!! THEY WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL SORRY FOR THEIR BACKSIDES AND GIVE THEM MONEY - WELL THEY AREN'T GOING TO GET ANY SYMPATHY FROM MANY PEOPLE - IF ANY!! I AGREE WITH PIPPA, IF THEY WERE THAT DESPERATE FOR MONEY, WHY DID THEY HANG ON TO IT LONG ENOUGH FOR A PITURE TO GET TAKEN!!?? THEY ARE ILLEGAL AND THEY SHOULD GO NOW!!!
The lad is 16 which means he is too old for a free secondary education (that we all have to pay for via our taxes for our own children). What do this family expect ? Free food and lodgings and a college and university education for their son funded by us ? I am about to fork out over £3000 per year for my own son's university education which I have carefully saved for. I'm not paying for their son as well ! Sorry, time to leave and pay your way in your own country. And that picture looking all forlorn does not make me feel any sympathy whatsover. We still have to fund their plane tickets out and that's more than enough.
The price of their plane ticket should be taken from their embassy and when they return back to where they came from they should be made to work to pay the price of the ticket ect back.
Why when illegal's are told they have to return to their own country are they given leave to appeal? The decision has been made, they should be shipped out that same day regardless of their circumstances. As other posters have stated, they were not invited...so clear off smartish you are not wanted.
these people are so hard skinned, they think its their god given right to expect financial help from us. bogoff back to your own country.
i bet we wouldnt get any help if we was in their country.
£10 too much.
Never mind eviction from their home evict them from the country!
They have no money yet they have the use of a solicitor - far too much money is being bled out of our coffers from these human rights and immigration solicitors. Why do we allow so many appeals for people to stay?
We have enough scroungers of our own in this country without importing others!
Whilst I agree with Ace most of the time - and these people certainly shouldn't get any hlep,
"Some friends of ours emigrated to oz last year and had to put into a bank account £20,000 for health care incase they had problems "
is simply not true, whilst you do have to prove you are unlikely to be a burden on the country and depending on your circumstances you may require a "Sponsor" (As I did - and I didnt have to have £20k) anyone (From any country) who is admitted to Oz on a residential basis is granted free medical care. As is any VISITOR (Non residential) from the UK under a reciprical agreement.
However what the Ozzies DO HAVE is large detention centers in the desert where illegal immigrants are "Housed" until there cases are heard and they are shipped home.