大象传媒

大象传媒 Asian Network's Breakfast presenter Tommy Sandhu spends two days and two nights in Southall - West London with the growing Asian homeless community. It's now estimated that around 200 men are sleeping on the streets - many are congregating under bridges like the M4 Heston Bridge. But with tensions now running high between the local community and the homeless men many in Southall want some of the illegal Asian men to return back to their country of origin - predominantly India. And now for the first time the local Gudwaras ( Sikh temples ) and local charity groups are working with UK Border agency to send back illegal Asian homeless immigrants in order to get them off the streets- this year alone 30 have been returned . Tommy Sandhu speaks to 26 year old Gurpreet - he came to the UK hoping to make a better life for himself but his addiction to heroin has meant he's now lost his job, his home and is now relying on his parents to send him money. Another, Manjit who's come over on a student visa has also become addicted to drugs but hopes he'll soon be able to kick his habit and get off the streets. Along the away Tommy also meets some of the Asian men living under the bridge -one of whom helped build the M4 road under which he now sleeps. He says after 20 years of living in the UK he's had enough and wants help to return back to India - but as he's a British citizens they can't be helped to return back to India - so with no money and no chance of work who can help these Asian men whose dreams that Britain was a land of opportunity have turned into a land of desperation .

Presenter :Tommy Sandhu
Producer :Anne -Marie Bullock
Perminder Khatkar.