12-05-2025
We want to start a family but are stuck in Glasgow hotel with rats
Five years later, he is 31, and he and his wife are stuck in a homeless hotel in Glasgow, feeling life is on hold and their future prospects a distant hope.
He came to the UK as part of the Syrian Resettlement Scheme.
His wife Ritta was able to join him last year under the family reunion rules.
But the couple are living in misery with rats, illness, and they are unable to eat properly.
After being moved around as an asylum seeker, from Belfast to London and Gloucestershire, Anas moved to Glasgow when he got refugee status.
He spent six days with the City Mission before he was put in a Yotel hotel in the city centre.
When his wife joined him, he was moved out because the hotel was only for single people, and they were put in McLay's Guest House in Garnethill.
(Image: Getty Images)
For the last six months, the couple has been living in one small room, with no cooking facilities and rodents for company.
Anas said: 'I didn't know anything about Glasgow.
'When I ask when I will be offered a flat, I am told it will be soon. It is always the same story.
'My wife is sick and getting medication because of living in the hotel. When we complained about rats, they told me not to bring food into the hotel and to eat outside the hotel. That is not the reason there are rats in the hotel.'
He said when he complained about the rats, they were moved to another room.
Anas added: 'Guess what happened? We found rats again.'
(Image: Supplied)
The council says the homelessness emergency in the city means there are not enough homes available to meet the level of demand.
Anas said: 'I have been in Glasgow for one year and four months, and my wife for six months.
He said the hotel is not suitable for people.
Anas added: 'There are families with children, women with babies living in rooms with rats.'
The husband has gained his driving licence, is a qualified painter and plasterer, and is studying English as a second language at college in Glasgow.
But he says he is up half the night chasing rats or mice in the room and can't concentrate during the day.
Anas added: 'I can't work, I can't study, we can't live in a clean place.'
(Image: Supplied)
He said he had no choice but to leave Syria and wants to be able to build a life for himself and his wife in Glasgow but is trapped by their situation.
He said: 'We want a flat to start a life. We want to start a family. I want to find work but I would be working for nothing with the cost of the hotel. My life is broken right now. We can't do anything.'
He said the couple is having to eat out or eat cold food from supermarkets because of the no food rule.
They receive less than £600 a month for both of them and say the cost of eating out is unaffordable.
They were offered a flat in North Glasgow but then told it was no longer available as the tenant was not moving out.
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council, said: 'We are keen to rehouse Mr Mhana as quickly as possible and are working with him to secure an offer of permanent accommodation.
'Demand for accommodation in Glasgow far outstrips availability and people are having to spend longer in emergency accommodation than is normally required.
'Securing homeless households with a permanent offer quickly as we can means we will highlight areas in the city where there is turnover of social housing.'
