Siamak’s Story
When Siamak arrived in the UK from Iran he was just 16 years old. However, he was age assessed as older, meaning support from social services was terminated. This decision meant he had to stop attending school and move into Home Office accommodation, sharing a room with two adults he had never met before.
Siamak, a keen footballer, was referred to Young Roots by his football coach. In the first few weeks of attending the youth club, it was clear that Siamak was distressed. He admitted he was missing his family and felt uncomfortable about his living conditions.
He felt isolated and yearned to return to the care of a local authority, close to his friends and classmates.
Although Siamak had been advised that nothing could be done to dispute his age, Young Roots sought legal counsel on his behalf. The solicitor advised that the assessment could be challenged, and Young Roots supported Siamak by liaising with both his immigration and community care solicitor.
The solicitor had been successful in progressing his case through a court where the judge agreed to a full hearing. The hearing, however, has since been delayed by more than a year. All this uncertainty was beginning to take its toll on Siamak’s mental health, causing sleepless nights and nightmares.
We engaged Siamak in regular counselling sessions, driven by a concern over his mental health.
On the day that Siamak was due to restart college, he was once again uprooted to long-term accommodation in a remote area outside of London. Young Roots referred him for support from a local organisation, but then COVID hit and the support was curtailed. Young Roots continued to provide regular contact and support.
Despite many setbacks, Siamak remains hopeful for his future. Having been out of education for eight months because of his age dispute, we were able to help him enrol in college and English as a second language classes.
Siamak often visits London and plays “The Beautiful Game” again with his old teammates. He hopes to continue finessing both his football and English language skills, harbouring aspirations to be a football coach one day himself.
While this is a true story, names have been changed to protect the young person.