Nasser is a doctor from the Yemen seeking asylum in the UK. He has been living in a hotel near Gatwick airport for more than a year and – with our support – is using this time in limbo to study.
‘I am really grateful that I am with Islington because they support everything I am doing to be able to work as a doctor here,’ he said. ‘I have received a lot of help from the Islington Centre, especially with mental health and with my education.’
The General Medical Council (GMC) requires that Nasser, like all overseas doctors, takes three exams before he can practise medicine in the UK – two medical papers and one in English.
‘The English teachers at the Islington Centre helped me to prepare for my English exam,’ he said. ‘We did some role playing classes. It is really helpful to play the role of being a doctor and how I am going to be doing it in English.’
Nasser, who originally learned English from his father, a biochemist, dreams of becoming an eye specialist.
‘Asylum seekers should be treated as a workforce,’ he said, ‘Not as a person to feed and accommodate.
‘Here in the hotel, there are people who have left their countries because of war and they would be in danger if they went back, but they are educated people.
‘There are engineers and people with medical backgrounds. They need information about how to use their abilities. It’s honestly a waste to see a nurse or a midwife working in a restaurant.’
Being from the Yemen means that Nasser’s claim for asylum is being considered without a face to face interview. He was asked to fill out a 10 page Home Office questionnaire early in 2023 and is still awaiting the outcome.
‘Thinking about this will make me anxious, so I try not to think about this,’ he said. ‘It helps me that I have a number for my team leader at the Islington Centre if I need support. I’m really thankful for that. People need that. Especially if you feel depressed or if you have some bad thoughts. You need someone to speak with, this is really important.’
Now, Nasser is hoping to pass his exams, get refugee status and work. ‘I have met many wonderful people since I came here, English people are very welcoming,’ he said. ‘I want to help build this community.’
Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants 