Afghan refugee couple left shaken after ‘heartless’ eviction

A couple from Afghanistan who came to Melksham as refugees have been left shocked and shaken after being evicted from their home by Wiltshire Council.

Mr and Mrs Sakhi, aged 71 and 66, were evicted from their temporary accommodation at Kingsbury Square on Friday 20th September, left sitting in the corridor with no belongings by council eviction officers.

The Sakhis fled Afghanistan following the withdrawal of NATO forces in 2021, as Mr Sakhi and his son, both of whom served in the Afghan army, were at risk of Taliban retribution. After arriving in the UK, the couple initially lived with their son in Lyneham, which suited them due to theircomplex medical needs requiring daily support. However, their son was informed he could not house them without breaching his tenancy agreement.

Their son Ahmad said the couple were offered a property in Sheffield, which they declined due to its distance from him and their limited knowledge of English. Following Mr Sakhi’s admission to Great Western Hospital with a suspected stroke, the couple were moved to temporary accommodation at Kingsbury Square and allowed to bid for housing. However, Wiltshire Council later served them with an eviction notice, claiming they had refused three offers of suitable accommodation.

The Sakhis dispute this, arguing the offers were either too far from their son or unsuitable for their needs. Ahmad also noted that they struggled to navigate the housing processes due to their age and lack of English.

Locked out

Wiltshire Council attended the property last Friday to carry out the eviction, leaving the Sakhis locked out with no access to their belongings. The couple then called their friends from their art club, and Melksham News was contacted, attending the scene to find the couple alone, frightened and without an interpreter present.

Housing officers initially denied them access to retrieve their belongings, only relenting after Melksham News contacted Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Phil Alford, who explained they needed medication, passports and clothing.

MP Brian Mathew was also called to assist, but Wiltshire Council refused to allow the couple to return to the property, leaving them without a housing solution over the weekend.

Cllr Alford then attended the scene, instructing officers to allow the couple to stay with their son over the weekend while directing officers to work with the Ministry of Defence to find permanent accommodation for Mr and Mrs Sakhi.

Disgusted

Donna Wood, a friend of the Sakhis from their art club said, “I have never been so disgusted in my life. To see Wiltshire Council putting a 71- and 66-year-old out on the streets, imagine if it was your parents or grandparents. They served alongside NATO, they deserve better than this. The housing officers who carried out the eviction were heartless, cold and callous and I don’t know how they sleep at night. I have never seen people so helpless be shunned as the Sakhis were.”

Brian Mathew MP said, “I am outraged and shocked at how Mr and Mrs Sakhi have been treated in this case, particularly given Mr Sakhi’s service alongside British forces in Afghanistan.  Thankfully, temporary accommodation was found for the very short term, but it is unacceptable that they were effectively left homeless.  My office will continue to work on this case to re-home Mr and Mrs Sakhi somewhere suitable.”

Cllr Phil Alford, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Housing said, “In line with our homeless relief duty, we offer temporary accommodation to people who are experiencing homelessness until a suitable property can be found. Once a suitable property is found, if refused, this duty ends. In this case, Mr Sakhi and his family have refused offers of suitable properties and in line with legislation they can no longer continue in the temporary accommodation.

“Throughout this case, our housing team has offered support, advice and worked hard to help them understand the process, but we are clear that people cannot stay in temporary accommodation indefinitely because we have other people waiting for this accommodation.

“We recognise this was a challenging case due to the complexities of this legislation and we understand these situations can be difficult and stressful for residents and staff involved. We routinely review our cases for any lessons to be learned. We can confirm Mr and Mrs Sakhi are currently in alternative accommodation and we will support them to secure a permanent home.”