Afghan couple leave Wick after feeling isolated living so far away from family and friends
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An Afghan couple who were living in Wick after fleeing their war-torn country have moved to London.
Ex-British Armed Forces interpreter Hamid Hakimi (26) went south with his pregnant wife Maryam Orfani (19) as they felt isolated living so far north and had difficulty getting Halal food.
They had been living in Caithness since August.
According to a report in The Sun newspaper, Hamid said: "We have come down to London and we are staying with friends but we don’t want to go back to Wick.
"We are so grateful to the UK for helping us but we can’t live so far away from our support network.
"I have been contacted by people who want to help us by bringing us Halal food which is very kind but it won’t help our situation.
"My wife is happy here in London where she is closer to her relatives and the Afghan community but we still don’t know what the Home Office is planning to do.”
He added: "I am so grateful to the UK government for bringing us here but the place where they moved us is unsuitable. I don’t mean that it is bad and I don’t want to offend anyone who lives in Wick.
"Wick is a nice place and there are nice people there but the problem is my wife is lonely there.
"I have been talking to the Home Office over and over to ask them to please let us stay closer to my friends and family."
Far north MP Jamie Stone, who also represents Easter Ross, said: "After speaking to Hamid, I am confident that he and his family are on track to settle in the UK."
The couple arrived in the UK four months ago and were transferred to Wick but Maryam struggled to eat and her health has suffered.
She visited A and E three times as her weight dropped by one and a half stone.
