The End

Happily today we found Shahriar alive. He hadn’t eaten or drank anything for three days and it sounds like he’d been in quite a dark place but at least he’s not dead. The mental health team in Newcastle has decided to section him for possibly two months. Fill him with drugs, wipe his sensors clean then try to build him up again. It seems so crazy that a person has to get into such a shocking state before we’ll offer some form of support. There must be a better route to take long before we have to consider the mental institute.

To finish it all off I’ve been told that my relationship with Shahriar may well have been detrimental to his health. They feel as a snooping ‘journalist’ I would have been dragging up all the negativity in his life, possibly causing him to nose-dive emotionally and pushing him to consider taking his life. I find that a hard pill to swallow. I’ve certainly learnt some lessons on how to deal with a phone call of that nature, but as far as these relationships go it’s more about friendship and trust than the digging of dirt. When you spend that much time with someone you certainly do talk about the problems, but you talk about so much more. Just having someone to sit and chat to must be worth something. So I’ve been told for the benefit of his health I shouldn’t contact him for at least a few months. Maybe it would be better for these guys to have no friends at all then the only thing we could blame is the system, although we’d probably just end-up blaming them.

Welcome to the O2 messaging service…

So that’s it. I don’t know where to go from here. I had a search for Shahriar last night around the places he used to go to sleep and eat but there was no sign. Today has drew another set of blanks with nobody else seeing or hearing anything. A very deafening silence.

Its difficult to know what to do next. What’s my role now? Shahriar is missing and quite possibly dead. I want to be able to tell this story, finish this story. I feel though I’ve only got half project at the moment – if that. There’s so much more to say.

Shahriar

Around 9 days ago I met Shahriar a destitute failed Asylum Seeker from Iran. He basically slept where he could. This was the story I’d been waiting for so I dropped everything else and started to pursue it. Last night he called me from a phonebox and told me he’d had enough and was going to meet God. Nobody has heard from him since.

Expensive Stuff

Here’s some pics from the first few roles I’ve been able to develop. With time and money running out things are getting a little frantic. The story is built around a group of Sudanese guys who play cards together. They’re at different points in the asylum/refugee process. One of the guys and his family have been given Refugee status. Another is on what’s called section 4 – emergency support to those who have been refused but can’t yet return due to the situation at home. While another is still waiting for his decision. Criticize at will.