A bizarre story has surfaced recently on some outlets of the mainstream news media concerning evidence presented at an immigration tribunal on behalf of an Iranian immigrant/asylum-seeker who reportedly finds life on Tyneside ‘depressing’.
Unsurprisingly, some of the London-based news outlets find the story both extraordinary and a chance to mock life in the North-East.
The Daily Mail.
“Asylum seeker who fled Iran ‘left with depression from living in Gateshead’, immigration court hears”
“An asylum seeker who fled Iran has told immigration judges that life in Gateshead left him with depression. The 20-year-old first came to the UK by small boat and claimed to be an opponent of the regime in Tehran who faced violent retribution at home. But while he was now safe from the brutal Islamist theocracy terrorising the Middle East, it appears his mental resolve struggled to withstand Tyneside.
“The man claimed he fell into a depressive slump when he was settled in the North East and even converted to Christianity to try to improve his mental health. But, despite his reservations about his new home, he is fighting against deportation back to Iran at an immigration tribunal. The Iranian, referred to as ‘FM’ in the proceedings, was born in Iran in 2006 and arrived in the UK on a small boat in 2022 – the day after his 16th birthday.
“His claim for protection was initially refused in June 2023, but because of his age, the Home Office granted him a limited period of discretionary leave.
While in the UK, he took part in anti-regime protests in Newcastle and featured in a video on an Iranian dissident’s Instagram account, which has 54,000 followers. His initial appeal was rejected by the First-tier Tribunal.
“But he appealed against the ruling and an Upper Tribunal Judge has now decided that the case needs to be reheard due to the ‘significant developments’ in Iran. The Upper Tribunal heard that FM claimed that he moved to Gateshead in the summer of 2024.
“In the summer of 2024, he had been dispersed to Gateshead and was feeling depressed’, the tribunal heard. FM required a Farsi interpreter at the hearing in the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber.”
The Telegraph takes a similar stance:
“Migrant who fled Iran ‘depressed’ living in Gateshead. Tribunal hears 20-year-old who arrived on a small boat fell into a slump when he was relocated to the north-east industrial town”
Other online news outlets took a similar position;
“Iranian Asylum Seeker Claims Depression in Gateshead, Fights Deportation!
“A young asylum seeker who fled Iran has revealed to immigration judges that his relocation to Gateshead in the North East of England plunged him into a deep depression. The 20-year-old, who arrived in the UK via a small boat, initially claimed asylum on the grounds of being an opponent of the Tehran regime and facing violent retribution in his homeland.
“While safe from the brutal Islamist theocracy terrorising the Middle East, the man, referred to as ‘FM’ in legal proceedings, found his mental resolve tested by life on Tyneside.”
While the idea that an asylum-seeker was depressed because he was settled in Gateshead is ridiculous, it is annoying that national media used the story to take a swipe at Tyneside. Also, most did not fail to mention the statistics below.
Gateshead was ranked as the 53rd most deprived of the 296 local authorities in England by the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Also quoted were the figures that the population of Gateshead is approximately 51% Christian and only 2% are Muslim. Although in this particular case the migrant ‘FM’ claimed to have recently converted to Christianity and attended a church in Gateshead.
Credits:
Main Image: BM North East.
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