A journalist with two university degrees is living on the streets of Greater Manchester in a tent after his application for asylum was approved. Sohayb Farag, 29, has been told by a council in a letter seen by the Manchester Evening News that he does 'not have a priority need for accommodation'.
Sohayb has nowhere to go - and only the clothes on his back, a mobile phone, a laptop and some personal belongings he carries around in a rucksack. He's been sleeping rough since October 19, moving around to find shelter as winter nears, and has reached out to the M.E.N. for help, describing his situation as 'a vicious cycle with no solution in sight'.
Sohayb, who revealed he was a staff journalist for news channel Al Jazeera in Qatar, says he's struggling to access support from Trafford council. "I believe that my story needs to be highlighted, not just for my sake but to ensure that this dire situation is not repeated with others," he said.
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"It is scary and it is not safe on the streets. In the night, anything can happen. I slept near to Fallowfield Park one week and I was shouted at by people who were smoking drugs. Sometimes I cannot sleep because it is so cold at night.
"Assisting me in finding accommodation would enable me to actively search for employment, which I believe will make me a valuable contributor to the community."' The M.E.N. caught up with Qatar-born Sohayb in a public park in Sale - the old tent he has borrowed from a friend he was living with as he sought asylum pitched up under a tree for shelter from the rain.
He uses cafes with charging points to keep his phone and laptop running, but struggles to find places to wash and keep his clothes clean, often having to rely on friends. He has a few sleeping bags and a pair of trainers.
Sohayb said he has two university degrees, in media including broadcast journalism and in international affairs, and worked as a journalist for Al Jazeera from 2016 until 2019. He still carries around his official Press ID card for the channel. He said he left Qatar and sought asylum due to 'life-threatening risks [he] faced as a journalist', and arrived in the UK seeking asylum in November, 2021.
"I flew into Manchester Airport then they put me in a hotel near the airport in Stockport," he said. "Then I spent time in Liverpool, for two months, before I was accommodated in Sale, in a shared house with five rooms and other asylum seekers."
When his asylum was granted, on August 31, and he secured leave to remain in the UK, he said it meant he had to leave the house.
"I was required to vacate the accommodation provided by the Home Office for asylum seekers and advised to contact the local council in my area, which is Trafford, for assistance in finding alternative housing," Sohayb told the M.E.N. "I initiated communication with the local council on September 17, 2023.
"Initially, they assured me that they would assist me and asked for my patience, promising to help before the eviction date. However, when the eviction day arrived, I received no communication from them. It was then that I was informed that I had no priority status, and they were unable to assist me. This news came on the same day I was actually evicted, leaving me in rough sleeping.
"When I informed them that I was forced to sleep on the streets, they responded by asking me for my patience. When I tried to push them, they asked me to send them my location. They assured me that a team would be sent to assist me. However, when the team arrived around 6.30am in the morning October 19, amidst heavy rain, and witnessed the state I and my belongings were in, I was surprised and shocked to learn that they didn't come to help me, but had only come to verify my situation.
"Despite confirming my dire circumstances to them, they once again stated that I had no priority and they had no obligation to assist me. I have reached out to numerous organizations throughout Manchester for assistance, yet I have received no support."
Sohayb, who also attends charity outreaches for support, revealed to the M.E.N. a long list of email correspondence with the council, in which they provide links to housing associations with available rooms. One, dated October 27, says a referral for 'low level supported accommodation' with a housing association has been completed and he's on a waiting list. The same email also says he was referred to the waiting list for Greater Manchester's 'A Bed Every Night' emergency accommodation provision.
"I'm unable to provide you with a time frame when there will be a vacancy in either property," it adds. But Sohayb, who has a bank account and gets around £350 a month through Universal Credit, still finds himself underneath the tree in Sale.
He has family in Qatar, but says he doesn't want to worry them. "I attempted to find private rentals, but the problem is that most landlords refuse to rent to someone without employment or references," he said. "Additionally, the cheapest room in all of Manchester is at least £550, while the maximum allowance they provide is £350. It is a vicious cycle with no solution in sight.
"When I presented these facts to the council, they continue to ignore me and refuse to help, even suggesting that I leave Manchester altogether and find somewhere else or even sleep on the streets.
"I am aware of colleagues in similar situations who are under the jurisdiction of other municipal councils, yet their councils have provided assistance and not left them in a state where they have to sleep on the streets from October 19 until today.
"I just can't seem to get anywhere. I cannot look for work when I am living in a tent. My priority is to find somewhere to eat, drink. It is horrible. This is a humanitarian crisis that urgently requires attention and resolution. I had my job and career, and in a second it was gone."
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: "We have every sympathy with Mr Farag and his plight, and we've worked with him on his homelessness application. Mr Farag is now on our housing waiting list but we have to follow strict criteria, imposed by government, when assessing our duties to provide accommodation.
"Demand for emergency accommodation in Trafford is very high, bur Mr Farag will be offered a place at Trafford's 'A Bed Every Night' (ABEN) provision as soon as a room becomes available. While Mr Farag's wait for accommodation continues, we are continuing to support Mr Farag to secure accommodation and advice will continue to be provided."
