A powerful episode of the BBC documentary series ‘Ambulance’ has shed light on the heartbreaking journey of a Sri Lankan student in London who ended up homeless and suicidal after a devastating chain of events.
The episode, which aired last April, follows paramedics Hannah and Niall as they respond to an emergency call about a man living in a car park who has attempted to take his own life. That man is Nadeera, a young Sri Lankan student who came to the UK to pursue higher education, only to find himself completely abandoned financially, socially, and emotionally.
Nadeera reveals to the emergency responders that he was once a university student, but after his uncle—who had been supporting him from Sri Lanka was shot dead, his life unraveled. With no funds to continue his studies or cover basic living costs, he became homeless and began seeking asylum in the UK.
Despite his desperate situation, Nadeera says UK authorities have done little to help him, instead “passing the ball” between departments, leaving him trapped in a bureaucratic maze. He shares that he has no access to mental health care, no financial assistance, and is surviving by sleeping in a car park.
His story becomes even more harrowing when he recounts being assaulted by a drug user, yet refusing hospital care out of fear he would lose the one place he could sleep safely his makeshift corner of the car park.
Isolated and rejected by his peers who avoid him because of his homelessness Nadeera’s story paints a grim picture of how asylum seekers and struggling students can fall through the cracks of a developed nation’s support system.
In a moving turn of events, the episode closes with a glimmer of hope: Nadeera, though still unsupported officially, manages to find employment and secure permanent housing, all thanks to the compassion of a stranger who extended a helping hand when the system failed him.
His story has since gone viral, triggering conversations about the treatment of international students, asylum seekers, and the invisible mental health crisis hidden in plain sight across the UK.
So lovely the help gieven by the UK Police,i too am in tears,loved the effort.