‘After listening, they did their job.’
When she first came to the Cardinal Hume Centre, Lena needed urgent help to keep her family safe. Without secure immigration status, she could not access basic support for her and her young children.
Lena and her children had been living as a family with the children's father. Then suddenly, that changed. ‘One day he just left and said he couldn’t continue anymore,’ she says.
She was left in the frightening position of being alone, and not knowing how to protect her family.
With nowhere else to go, she asked her landlord if they could stay in the house, even though she couldn't pay the rent. ‘I begged the landlord,’ she says. She was too afraid to approach the council in case it affected her immigration status. Finally, the landlord allowed her and her children to stay in one room.
A friend introduced her to the Cardinal Hume Centre, and Lena remembers staff took their time with her and planned next steps. ‘They are friendly and they listen,’ Lena says. ‘After listening, they did their job.’
Her adviser supported her family step by step, starting with her eldest son’s citizenship, then helping Lena and her other children apply for leave to remain. The process took time, with delays and refusals along the way, but they kept going.
When you hear that police are around… I used to feel scared.
Without immigration status, everyday life felt uncertain. ‘When you hear that police are around… I used to feel scared,’ Lena says.
Once her status was granted, things began to change. She could finally focus on housing, although it was not straightforward. With support from the Centre, she challenged delays with the council and worked to keep her family safe when they were asked to move out.
They did a lot – calling me, giving food vouchers, helping with travel.
Alongside this, small practical help made a difference. ‘They did a lot,’ she says. ‘Calling me, giving food vouchers… helping with travel.’ She pauses and nods towards her adviser. ‘She did a lot to help me.’
Today, Lena is working and studying. ‘I started working last August,’ she says. ‘Now I’ve started college as well.’
Her children are able to enjoy being children. ‘They have no clue,’ she says of the immigration struggle. ‘They just ask, “When are we going on holiday?”’
Looking back, the change is clear. ‘Two years ago I was sitting here asking, “When am I going to get my status?”’ she says. ‘Now I’m sitting here… it’s a different story.’
Then she adds quietly, ‘It’s amazing.’