Kenneth Crane (Opinion, February 7) finds amusement in my statement that asylum-seekers often come to Brighton and Hove because they have friends and family in the area, suggesting that these contacts are the only reason they come to the UK.
Let me clarify the point I was making by giving an example.
Two Iranian men I worked with recently were detained and tortured in their own country. On arrival in the UK, one could barely walk because his legs had been broken during beatings and badly pinned.
Both suffered, and continue to suffer, severe mental health problems as a result of their traumatic experiences. This persecution is one reason they fled Iran and came to the UK.
Their only contacts in this country live in Brighton. It is surely only human to seek the support of friends in attempting to come to terms with an horrific past and
life in a new country.
-Duncan Hunt, Manager, Migrant Helpline, Sussex
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