A string of fairy-lights is the only item dividing the hotel room Shayan, 12, shares with her 14-year-old brother, Roman. In her ‘half’ of the room – slightly larger than the single bed she sleeps in – is a neat stack of shoe boxes she uses for her notebooks, make-up and jewellery. When I visit, the room is airless: the blinds are drawn all day to stop outsiders from seeing in, and the windows are sealed shut for safety. The air conditioning doesn’t always work and, although the coast is only a few miles away, Shayan’s family rarely leave the hotel.

‘We’ve spent thousands of pounds just to get into England. And what for? To be stuck in a hotel, to get harassed and for my parents to not be allowed to work.’

It hardly seems appealing for a stay of even one night. But this is the sort of si

See Full Page