Young asylum seeker from Afghanistan ‘took his own life after Home Office rejected his application’

‘I sent my son to the UK in search of safety, and in return, I got a dead body,’ said the mother of Amir Safi
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A young, unaccompanied asylum seeker from Afghanistan is said to have taken his own life after his application for refugee status was rejected by the Home Office.

Amir Safi, who claimed to be 16, reportedly fled his home country around five months ago when his mother encouraged him to travel to the UK in search of “safety”. However, Shukrullah Ludin, founder of Labour Friends of Afghanistan, told NationalWorld that the Home Office “failed” to provide him with this safety - instead rejecting his asylum claim, which preceded his suicide.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Ludin said the Home Office “disbelieved” Mr Safi when he said he was 16, because he did not have the correct documents. “But he could not bring any documents because he was fleeing Afghanistan, and he would be in danger if the Taliban caught him,” Mr Ludin explained. On his death certificate, Mr Safi’s age has been recorded as 23.

Mr Safi died on 5 May, just hours after he received a decision from the Home Office. One of the friends Mr Safi had made at the Novotel hotel in Nottingham, where he was awaiting an answer on his claim, told Mr Ludin he was “extremely disappointed and upset” when he heard the news about his application.

“One of the failures here is the fact that Mr Safi had no support from a social worker or a lawyer,” Mr Ludin said. “If he had, they could have explained that this does not mean his claim is over - that he can appeal. But he did not have any support.”

Mr Safi’s body has since been repatriated to Afghanistan, where he has been buried. Speaking to Mr Ludin, Mr Safi’s mother - who lost her husband in a drone strike a few years ago - said she “wanted justice” after the tragedy. “I sent my son to the UK so he would be safe, and in return, I got a dead body,” she said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Ludin has argued that the case needs to be investigated thoroughly, as he accused the Home Office of “utterly failing in its duty of care”. He added that there were many questions about why officials did not believe Mr Safi’s age, recalling that the same thing happened to him when he arrived in the UK 13 years ago.

Amir Safi, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, who reportedly took his own life after he was rejected refugee status by the Home Office. Credit: photo provided by Shukrullah Ludin.Amir Safi, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, who reportedly took his own life after he was rejected refugee status by the Home Office. Credit: photo provided by Shukrullah Ludin.
Amir Safi, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, who reportedly took his own life after he was rejected refugee status by the Home Office. Credit: photo provided by Shukrullah Ludin.

“It took me three years to prove myself,” Mr Ludin said. “But by the time the court decided I was right and the Home Office was wrong, I had already missed many years of school.”

Another issue this case raises, Mr Ludin added, is that unaccompanied minors should not be housed in the same accommodation as adults. “They should be provided with safe accommodation, where they are given support. As far as I know, Mr Safi had no social worker, no legal support, nothing.”

“These people, particularly young people, have already been through much trauma and hardship. Why can we not give them the help they need?”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A Home Office spokesperson told NationalWorld: “We are saddened by the death of Mr Safi, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. It would be inappropriate to comment further ahead of any determination to be made by the coroner.”

If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, help is available 24/7 from Samaritans. You can call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email them at [email protected], or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.