A former health minister of Afghanistan is seeking asylum in the UK while staying at a migrant hotel that has faced anti-immigration protests.
Feroz Ferozuddin, internationally recognized for his work as a trauma surgeon, fled his homeland in 2021 for fear of being tortured by the Taliban.
He worked to rebuild Afghanistan’s public health system after the conflict and was an advocate of women’s rights. He came to the UK via Turkey and is now seeking refuge in Bournemouth, Dorset.
However, his application to remain in the UK has been refused because it was made after the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme had closed.
Mr. Ferozuddin, 58, is appealing against the decision, one of over 50,000 rejected asylum seekers challenging the refusal.
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He is living in one of the three hotels in Bournemouth that have been taken over by the Home Office to house asylum seekers. All three have faced weekly anti-migrant protests. He said he has heard protesters outside his hotel calling him a "devil" and telling him to leave the country.
But Mr. Ferozuddin said he believed he had a lot to offer the NHS, adding: "I always believed the UK has a big heart and patience. It embraces diversity, democracy, human rights, and women’s rights, and that is my personal mission.
"I believe in respecting people, saving people, empowering people, irrespective of gender, religion, or race. I wanted to find space to contribute to that.
"Individualism is very important here. We need to compete, we need to thrive, but we need to work together when we want to achieve something. I believe the St George’s flag is most powerful when it brings people together, at sporting events, festivals, and moments of shared pride.
"In these settings, it reflects the warmth, kindness, and unity that I have experienced from so many here in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.
"My hope is that this beautiful symbol will always be used to unite rather than divide, so that everyone, including newcomers, can feel pride and belonging when they see it."
Mr. Ferozuddin said he had been "keeping himself busy" with community work and helping local organizations such as the YMCA. He said he believed asylum seekers should be involved in the community so they could be taught UK cultures and values.
In Afghanistan, Mr. Ferozuddin saved lives as a surgeon for nine years before stepping back from being a medic. He then served as Afghanistan’s minister for health from 2015 to 2020 and was awarded the best minister award at the World Government Summit in 2019.
He was a strong defender of women’s and children’s rights, which went against the Taliban’s order, and worked to battle Afghanistan’s maternal mortality rate, which was the highest in the world, killing four mothers every minute.
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During his time as minister, the government managed to halve this to two every minute. However, when the Taliban took control, his home was confiscated and his bank accounts were frozen.
Mr. Ferozuddin said: "I moved from safe house to safe house. In the end, they [the Taliban] would have recognized me. They would have jailed me, then tortured me, it’s the consequence of brutality. I had to leave everything, my legacy."
He eventually managed to escape to Pakistan under the guise of being critically ill. From there, he applied for asylum in Turkey but still did not feel safe. He said he continued to receive threats and was assaulted, being hit over the head with a blunt object.
When Mr. Ferozuddin reported it to the police, he was told they could not look after everyone, and he sought asylum in the UK in January this year.
Asylum seekers are barred from working but can apply to seek employment if they have to wait more than a year. Mr. Ferozuddin said: "We could get asylum seekers to take part in community activities, like volunteering and litter-picking to help clean the beaches. It provides a sense of belonging."
If he secures asylum, Mr. Ferozuddin said he wanted to use his expertise to help the NHS, local councils, and homelessness trusts.
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