Ben came to the UK with his mother when he was a child, fleeing severe domestic violence from his father in their home country. Ben’s father was an influential politician in his home country, meaning he and his mother could not hide within the country.
Because of his influential status, Ben’s mother was afraid to make herself known to the UK authorities. They therefore lived for years under the radar, moving from place to place, never feeling safe. Ben and his mother had no official status in the UK, so Ben’s mother could not work Consequently, Ben spent much of his childhood sleeping on the floor of acquaintances’ houses, often without enough to eat.
Ben and his mother first approached RAMFEL via our foodbank in 2021, homeless and destitute. Recognising the severity of their situation we first secured Ben and his mother emergency accommodation and support from Social Services. We then submitted a fee waiver request and leave to remain application based on their established life in the UK.
This was a particularly complex case. Ben had previously been a victim of trafficking and had been coerced by a London gang to join a county lines operation. Because of this, he had a criminal record and as a result the government refused his application. We challenged this in court, providing significant evidence that Ben’s criminal record was clearly a result of him being trafficked.
After a lengthy process, the judge allowed the appeal and Ben and his mother were finally given visas. We also worked with Social Services and a youth offending service officer to find Ben and his mother a new address far removed from the gang that had previously exploited him.
Thanks to our support, Ben is no longer at risk of gang exploitation and is now enrolled in college and planning for a better future.
