An engineer who fled war-torn Sudan for a better life in Scotland claims a Home Office agency has lost his immigration status papers – making it impossible for him to find a job.
Abrahim Hassan, 32, was working as a driller in Khartoum when he left to seek sanctuary in Scotland five years ago at the height of his country’s troubles.
He settled in Aberdeen, embarked on a second engineering degree at Aberdeen University and took a job as a security guard to pay his way.
Changes in the law two years ago meant he was required to apply for a special licence to continue working in his security job.
Mr Hassan, of Manor Walk, followed all steps requested by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), which hands out the special licences, but heard nothing for months.
He sent the agency six letters, asking where his documents were and said he called “at least 40 times”, but every inquiry went unanswered.
It was only when he asked his MP, Frank Doran, to intervene that the agency told him they had been posted, but it could not find the evidence to prove it.
Mr Hassan says he now has no identification because he sent all his documents to the SIA and it has not returned them or granted a licence.
He says he has amassed around £10,000 in debt because he cannot work.
Mr Hassan, who went on to do another engineering course after completing his second degree at Aberdeen University, has just completed a masters at the Robert Gordon University.
A spokeswoman for the SIA insisted the agency was not at fault.
“We have replied to all the correspondence Mr Hassan has sent to us,” she said.
“The documents he supplied with his licence application were not sufficient proof of his identity.
“We returned Mr Hassan’s documents to him, but he says he did not receive them. “We have not yet received sufficient proof of Mr Hassan’s identification, nor a receipt of payment for the replacement documents.”