Janine GriffithsFor more than a year, Nelson lived in limbo—trapped in an asylum hotel, unable to work, and powerless to control his own future. A trained nurse with a Master’s in Public Health, he fled Cameroon to escape the country’s violent political crisis, only to find himself stripped of his independence in the UK.
“The hardest part is not knowing,” he said. “If they told you that you had to wait two years, at least you could prepare. But when you wait indefinitely, it breaks you.”
Nelson had built a life for himself in Cameroon, working and providing for his wife and children. But as violence spread across the country, he was forced to seek sanctuary in the UK. What he found instead was an asylum system that left him in a state of constant uncertainty, unable to work, move freely, or even eat the food he was accustomed to.
“People think the asylum hotels are comfortable, but they don’t understand,” he explained. “You have to sign in and out like a prisoner. You can’t visit friends or leave for more than a certain amount of time. And the food—if it makes you sick, that’s your problem. You eat what they give you or you don’t eat at all.”
The isolation was suffocating. As an asylum seeker, Nelson was given only a small allowance, making it impossible to send money back home to his wife and children. “They need me,” he said. “But I couldn’t do anything for them. It was unbearable.”
Despite the mental strain, Nelson held onto hope. After a year of waiting, his asylum claim was finally accepted. Now, he is rebuilding his life, working as a full-time support worker while navigating the process of requalifying as a nurse.
“For the first time in a long time, I have control again,” he said. “I can work, I can pay my taxes, I can live freely. That’s all I ever wanted.”
But Nelson knows that many others are still trapped in the system, waiting in silence. “People don’t understand what it’s like,” he said. “That’s why I tell my story—so they can see what really happens.”
