IN THE FIRST TIER TRIBUNAL CASE NO: HU/56326/2023

(IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM CHAMBER)

BETWEEN : —

Ahmed Khair Isse

— and —

Entry Clearance Officer

____________________________________________

WITNESS STATEMENT
Of Ahmed Khair ISSE

____________________________________________

I, Ahmed Khair Isse, of Hope For Children Shelter (Nicosia), Michael Karaoli 18, Aglandjia
2108, Nicosia, Cyprus, make the following statement:

1. I, Ahmed Khair Isse, am making this statement in support of my appeal against the
Home Office refusal of my entry clearance application to join my sister, Miski
Mohamed Isse (“Miski”), and the rest of my family in the UK.

2. The statements I make are within my own knowledge except where otherwise stated.
Where the statements are matters of information or belief, I have stated the source for
this information or belief.

Clarifications

3. I confirm that I carefully read the statement provided with my original application and
that the contents were accurate and true to the best of my knowledge. I would like to
make just one clarification.

4. My experience in the school was humiliating and I was not earning anything so I
stopped going to school several months ago (I am not sure of the date). No-one spoke
to us refugee children and I gave up on trying to learn the Greek language. It is hard
to explain how depressing it is to be in the school and just being ignored. One day, a
boy came up and asked me if my leg was the same as my hand. I was not only a
refugee child but a disabled one made to feel less than the other children. I did not
want to be at school anymore as it was upsetting to be treated like that every day.
Most of the other boys in my refugee class have also stopped going to school: only 2
or 3 boys still go. They are not disabled.

Refusal of Application
5. When we made the application in April 2023, I was really happy and excited. I had so
much hope – I felt like I would be with my sister soon, and I was just waiting for my
ticket. I felt very motivated, and only a little bit nervous. 90% of my mindset was
expecting a positive outcome.

6. We found out that my application had been refused on 5 May 2023. My lawyer called
me at the shelter and told me about the decision. When I was speaking with her, I was
trying to be strong. But even when I remember that phone call and that day, I feel
emotional. When I heard the news, it felt like a light had been switched off in a room
and everything was dark inside. When I got home, I called Miski and we talked about
the decision. She felt very guilty and was very upset that it was refused, because she
had tried her best and done everything she could. She told me not to give up, because
god willing I would be with her in the end. I tried to stay strong on the outside on that
call and make her feel better. But I did not sleep that night. Generally, sleeping
properly has been hard for me since then: most nights, I do not sleep enough or even
at all (sometimes I stay awake all night). I have not been very interested in food
either, since I got the decision. Usually, I only eat once a day. I had a lot of hope to
get out of here where I am trapped and seen as useless. Now I feel hopeless a lot, but I
am trying not to. I feel like I don't have any future.

7. I feel very disappointed, and I feel that the decision was very unfair. I keep asking
myself: why didn’t the decision maker put themselves in my shoes? Why couldn’t
they see what I was going through, and how terrible my situation is? I really believe
they could not have made the decision they did, if they had done that.

8. I feel empty right now. Sometimes when I see children with their family, it makes me
cry because I remember how I used to feel when I was with my family. On the inside,
I feel very weak. When I feel weak, I try and remember my father. I picture him in
front of me, telling me not to give up. Sometimes that also makes me cry.

9. I have nothing to do here. I am very bored. I spend my day wasting time. I want to
play football outside, but I have a problem with transportation – the pitch is far away,
and I often cannot join for a full game because I cannot get back. There is no support
for us to go anywhere or do anything.

10. There is a boy who came to this house about a month ago. I helped him with
interpretation. He just got an acceptance to go to his family in the Netherlands. I am
happy for him, but it makes me feel very disappointed. It is hard to see children who
came after me, leaving to join family before me. I feel unlucky - like something bad
about me means I do not deserve to join my family. I try to be a nice person, a
positive person, good to other people. I believe that what you give is what you get.
But bad things keep happening to me. My father told me that even good people go
through hard times. I try and remember that, and to take lessons from all these
experiences. But I am only human, and life is hard here.

11. On Tuesday 6 June, a coordinator at the Hope for Children came to my house. She
asked me when I was turning 18, whether I have any friends outside the shelter and
what I do in the daytime. I told her I have no one here, nothing to do in the daytime,
and I am always at home. I felt very scared. I could see that she was hinting to me that
I am about to turn 18, and things will change. The way she asked the questions made
 me feel like I was about to become homeless. I know a bit about what would happen
if I am still here when I turn 18, because I have spoken to other boys in Cyprus. I
know I will need to find somewhere to live and support myself.

12. I feel very hopeless about ever getting a job in Cyprus – I can see that it will be very
difficult for me. I have asked Sotiroulla and Angela to help me find a job or some
training, so that I can be productive here. I was told that no employer will waste their
time training me when there are already non-disabled, non-refugee people ready to
work for them. I did an interview for a job in the hypermarket but I did not get the
job. I tried to apply for a job as a sales assistant, but I was told that the shop does not
employ 'asylum seekers'. Other boys have got a job at a recycling centre, but I cannot
do that work because of my disability (the work is very manual). I have not seen my
guardian for several months, so I have not been able to ask her for help. I have met
her only once, on the day she was introduced to me. She never asks after me, if I need
anything or wants to know how my family reunion case is going. It is just a job title
with no actual practical support for me. Maybe she is better with younger kids, I don’t
know.

13. I understand from our lawyer that one of the reasons the Home Office refused the
application was because we did not provide evidence of what happened to my parents
or of how my maternal aunt treated me. Unfortunately, there are no death certificates
confirming what happened to my family. And because they died in the house and not
the hospital, I do not think we could even request death certificates if we were in
Somalia. I do not understand what evidence the Home Office are expecting in respect
of my maternal aunt in Somalia. I do not even speak to her. What evidence can I
possibly give them except of course my evidence? Is that just ignored?

14. I was surprised to hear from my lawyer that the Home Office did not even believe I
had a disability. We have now provided more medical evidence of my disability: a
letter from the doctor at the hospital. I explained it in my statement, and I am sure my
support workers would have mentioned it in their reports. Also, when I gave
biometrics I could only give 5 fingerprints with my two hands (not the 10 they would
usually take). It was not easy to get a doctor confirmation of my disability, because I
did not have a medical card to go to the hospital with. I had to book an appointment to
get a medical card, and only then could I go to the doctor to confirm my disability.

15. I understand the Home Office say that I have no 'diagnosed mental health problems'.
But no one has ever even tried to diagnose me with such conditions. I used to talk a
bit to my previous Child Protection Officer, Emanuela, about what happened to my
family, but she has left her role. I do not ask anyone else for help, because I am trying
to be positive. Generally, I try not to talk to people about what happened to my family
and how I feel about it. Also, you cannot make an appointment with the Hope for
Children psychologist when you need it: you have to book one and this might be some
weeks away. I feel very unhappy here, and I have tried to explain why. I really pray I
can be with Miski and things get better for me.

16. My lawyer explained that the Home Office think I am getting the help I need from the
social services and counsellors here. That is not true. Even practically, I do not have
basic things and the financial support is less than minimal. For example, I do not have
enough clothes, what I have is in bad condition and I cannot buy any more - even
 second-hand: I try to save pocket money to buy more, but I also have to buy food, pay
the electricity and cut my hair. For example, I am using a very old towel that I was
given over a year ago. I have already explained in my previous statement how I need
support to do daily things (like cooking and cleaning) because of my disability. I am
still relying on other boys to help me out. But they do not always want to do that. I am
not learning anything, I am not being provided with education or training. I feel lonely
and unsafe here. People that I meet in Cyprus are very xenophobic: even when I say
hello to people on the streets here, most people ignore me and I fear attack when I go
out because there is so much hatred of refugees here. There are often fights outside. I
stay home most of the time, so that I stay out of danger. There is no one here to
protect me. Any help I do get is from strangers, and it is not enough.

Conclusion

17. I cannot remain here – and life will get even worse once I turn 18. It is strange,
because I should be happy about growing up. But the idea is scary to me, because of
my disability. I know it will stop me from getting a job here and supporting myself. I
know I am different from other boys. Even the support workers here doubt my ability
to get a job. I have very low morale when I think about this. I worry I will have
nowhere to live and no money if I am still here when I turn 18.

18. I am only asking to regain the love that I lost: the love of my family. I don’t have any
love in Cyprus, because Miski is far away I have no one here. I need a positive
decision as soon as possible, so I can be safe and loved in my sister’s home. My
relationship with my sister and her family is my only chance at family life. I would
make the most of every opportunity for education and learn to be independent and
support myself if I join her in the UK. I believe I could do many things with my life.
But I will never have opportunities here because of the way I am treated in Cyprus as
a disabled refugee.

Statement of truth

I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true. I understand that proceedings
for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a
false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its
truth.

Signed: …………………………..

Dated: 7 June 2023