Migrants in west London have had to resort to sleeping rough under motorway flyovers and bins in freezing temperatures, according to a charity supporting the Sikh community.
19 January 2011: The Sikh Welfare Awareness Team (SWAT) says a handful of people have been sleeping in appalling conditions in Southall and Hounslow.
Rough sleepers have been found sheltering in places including in bin rooms of blocks of flats, sheds, cemeteries, under the M4 flyover and under bridges on canal towpaths.
Sukh Singh, co-founder of SWAT, said: ‘At first you didn’t believe it until you saw it. It was eye-opening and quite disturbing.
‘These people are Punjabis, Sikh, Pakistani, even one or two Eastern Europeans. The biggest problem is three people have died because of the cold, so we are giving out sleeping bags and just supporting them on a humanitarian basis.’
He explained that because many are illegally in the country they do not have recourse to public funds and are only entitled to help in sub-zero conditions, through the emergency measures put in place by councils when temperatures drop below zero for three consecutive nights.
Many of the rough sleepers are surviving on free meals from the Southall Sikh temple, Mr Singh added. The charity has been handing out jackets as well as sleeping bags.
The charity believes about 200 people have been sleeping rough in the Southall area over the past couple of months, although official accounts suggest this is lower.
Hitesh Tailor, Ealing Council cabinet member for housing, said: ‘We know some people are fearful of being approached by officers because of their immigration status and hide during counts, which is masking the true picture.’
Homeless charity Thames Reach has been working with people who have been sleeping under the M4 flyover in Hounslow.
Although reports suggested there were 50 such people, Thames Reach spokesman Mike Nicholas said the true number was eight.
Mr Nicholas said: ‘We know all eight men by name and are working relentlessly to find solutions to help them escape their plight.
‘[Seven of the] men’s complex immigration issues mean we can’t access accommodation for them. The options of helping them find work and private accommodation are hindered by their immigration status, heavy drinking, and physical health problems.’
Mr Singh said SWAT had recently helped some of Southall’s homeless people to return to India through the organization Institute of Migration’s voluntary return scheme.