By Tim Potier
They first appeared a few days before Christmas. There was a square-shaped bench just before the front door to my apartment building and, as the day proceeded, they would gather there; sometimes up to 15 of them. They were not sleeping rough, because by around 10pm each evening they would all be gone. Eventually, one bitterly cold January evening, I went up to them. My flat was warm and snug, and there they were (again) drinking alcohol, no doubt against their religion, but just to keep warm. It turned out that they were a mixture of races, but mainly Afghans: all of them were asylum seekers. In his very poor English, I could just about make out from one of them that they had a shelter to go to each night (“hot beds” they were later described to me as). Six months on they are still here; except that they now congregate on the other side of the road. They removed the bench a few months ago. No doubt others in the neighbourhood complained. Not that they have ever caused any bother. They are unable to work and so they pass each day waiting for their lives to turn for the better. I wonder what could be so much worse than this predicament to bring them to London.
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Mega-cities such as London have always attracted those aspiring a better life. You do not need to be from Afghanistan or Syria to find yourself here or anywhere similar. Clever boys and girls from town and country have long had to seek their success and fortune in the city. Many thrive, but some fail and others, overwhelmed by life and society, end up sleeping on the streets, propped up by their alcohol and other addictions. There are certain places in London where you will not see such people. They are a sight for sore eyes and therefore unwelcome in the beautiful parks, exclusive neighbourhoods and main thoroughfares of the city. But where I have been living this past year is not one of those areas, so I am confronted daily by an endless number of them. Hardly a minute goes by when I am not asked for some “spare change”. Truthfully, if I gave to all I would be asking for spare change too. I am assured that some of them are professional beggars, that others are controlled by criminals. Whatever the truth, it is a sad indictment of the world in which we now live that we have to mind our step, to such an extent, in order not to fall over them. I have never seen so many.
It cannot be denied that London has lost some of its confidence. The city feels more divorced from the rest of the country than ever. I have even noticed a certain hostility when I have been beyond the M25 and told people where I live. There is much uncertainty, the people look more anxious than usual and the streets look dirtier – always a good indicator of a city’s morale. The nation had endured three attacks in as many months, but nothing epitomises the sickness in its heart as much as the Grenfell Tower. Two weeks ago I went to Heathrow airport to meet my wife and children. Theirs was one of the last flights to arrive that night into Terminal 5, they were tired and had a lot of luggage, so I paid for us all to get a cab from the airport to central London where I live. I was born not that far from Grenfell Tower, know north Kensington well and so, as we joined the Western Avenue, I knew that there was a fair chance we would see the tower block in the distance. The driver confirmed my suspicion that we would pass close by. By this time it was close to midnight, but, London being a city that never sleeps, the roads were still busy. And suddenly, just before we approached the (so-called) Northern Roundabout, it loomed in front of us; surprisingly visible, despite the darkness. We all fell silent. It remained in view for some minutes; this gigantic stained tomb symbolising the divisions in one of the wealthiest cities on Earth. I do not believe any of us will ever forget it. Many who died there on that fateful night in June came to this country hoping for a better life, also. And that was their reward; the fruits of a globalised world. It’s a little frightening, isn’t it?
Dr Tim Potier is Principal Lecturer in Law at Coventry University