Can’t Stay. Can’t Go. Refused asylum seekers who cannot be returned 19 Red Cross also referred him to Nightstop, a The Leicester Red Cross receives a lot of support charity for the homeless that provides overnight from the community: accommodation in the homes of trained and vetted volunteers in the area. It is meant as So a lot of food is donated from churches. emergency accommodation though, not for long- Actually, they’re really, really helpful and really term support. Otherwise, Walid sleeps rough: regular in their donations. So we have a church that every Monday brings fruit and vegetables When I was sleeping in the street I was – I want for our service users. Every Monday they’re in to die really. I don’t want to carry on, because here at ten o’clock. Same as the mosque. For it’s not like – it’s not easy. (Walid, Algeria) Ramadan we received a lot of donations – the dates to break fast or places where the people Qareen (Palestine) used to live with a friend: could go to break fast all together. (Red Cross staff member, Leicester) My friend used to help me. I lived with him for a year. He is a good man, very good. He was a Anwar (Somalia) gets food from the Leicester comfort to me. Now he has married and I can’t Red Cross: “They give me food; they give me live with him anymore. (Qareen, Palestine) some stuff to take for my kid.” Violet (Zimbabwe) and Bisrat (Eritrea) both get food and vouchers Qareen has been moving from place to place and from the Leicester Red Cross. Kayla (Zimbabwe) is currently living in accommodation found for and Bisrat (Eritrea) also get food from the City of him by Positive Action for Refugees and Asylum Sanctuary Leicester. As Bisrat sleeps rough, he Seekers (PAFRAS) in Leeds. It is not a permanent cannot cook food: arrangement and he knows he might need to move soon: I buy food where I cook it? I don’t have… I don’t have the cook space. So I eat fast food. I I don’t know what to do. Tomorrow I can have buy fast food. (Bisrat, Eritrea) to go from this house. I can be homeless. I don’t know what to do. Five houses I have The Red Cross staff members in Glasgow reported lived here in Leeds. Two days here. Three days that refused asylum seekers who cannot be there. (Qareen, Palestine) returned rely on friends and food banks for food. One of the staff members expressed concern about the quality of food made available by food 3.5 Having food to eat banks: Four of the participants are on support. Fiyori I think in terms of the quality of that food, (Eritrea) is on support, but still finds it a struggle to people are surviving on low-grade food afford food for herself and her two small children. products and long-life milk and canned fruit Fiyori tends to go without so her children can have and vegetables. (Red Cross staff member, what they need: Glasgow 1) I would rather buy food for the children than According to the Red Cross staff member in for myself. So the situation is not good for me. Teesside, refused asylum seekers rely heavily on (Fiyori, Eritrea) charities for food. Walid (Algeria) will have a meal at the soup kitchen, or sometimes a homeless charity Those who are not on support rely heavily on such gives him sandwiches and other food. Kasim (Iraq) sources as charities, friends and food banks. gets some food from Justice First in Stockton-on- Tees, but commented: “Sometime you can’t eat. The Leicester Red Cross refugee service gives Sometime no afford you eat. You can’t.” people £10 Tesco vouchers that can be used to buy food. It also gives people some food: The staff member in Birmingham reported that people rely on friends, mosques, churches and If they are completely street homeless, we’ve SIFA Fireside, a charity for homeless people that got street homeless food that doesn’t need provides meals. to be cooked. Then, otherwise, if they have a friend that they’re staying with, we would I mean, if you’re asking me how they survive, also give some food parcels to contribute to I don’t really know. I mean, it’s very difficult the friend’s house. (Red Cross staff member, I think. There are obviously food banks and Leicester) stuff out there and soup kitchens, but there’s