Too Often, Safety Is the First Step – Then the Waiting Game Begins
Arjeta Folla, a tenacious former detainee and Everton supporter, has spent years navigating a system that can feel arbitrary and unforgiving. After surviving the brutal realities of human trafficking and fighting her way back to Liverpool from immigration detention, she hoped to find stability, a roof over her head, and a chance to rebuild in the city she cherishes. Instead, she finds herself confronting homelessness, a challenge that threatens to erase the progress she has fought so hard to secure.
A City of Fans, Not a City of Barriers
Liverpool is known for its passionate football culture and vibrant communities, but for Arjeta, the town’s warmth has been overshadowed by the cold realities of housing insecurity. When people hear about survivors of trafficking, they often imagine dramatic rescues and swift sentences, but the day-to-day reality for many is slower, quieter, and more persistent. For Arjeta, the dream of independence in the place she loves is complicated by limited housing options, bureaucratic obstacles, and the emotional toll of her past experiences.
Why Detention Can Change Everything — and Nothing
Detention can strip away routine, support networks, and even the sense of belonging. For survivors like Arjeta, leaving detention with the promise of safety and reintegration can feel like stepping into a new battlefield without a map. Legal status, access to services, language barriers, and the stigma surrounding trafficking make finding secure accommodation an uphill climb. Even with a successful return to Liverpool, the thread of stability remains fragile until comprehensive housing programs and ongoing support are in place.
Facing the Reality: Life Without a Home
Homelessness compounds trauma. The lack of a stable address makes it harder to access healthcare, counseling, and employment opportunities — all crucial for long-term healing and self-sufficiency. For Arjeta, daily tasks that many take for granted—registering with a GP, enrolling in language classes, or securing governmental or charitable assistance—become obstacles that require persistence, advocacy, and sometimes help from individuals who see beyond a name or a file number.
Support Systems That Can Make the Difference
Community organizations, shelters, and legal advisors are essential stops along the road to stability. Local groups in Liverpool are increasingly aware of the unique needs of trafficking survivors: trauma-informed care, safety planning, and pathways to secure, long-term housing. Navigating these services can be daunting without advocates who understand the complexity of immigration status, asylum processes, and the rights of survivors. Arjeta’s case highlights the urgent need for integrated support that addresses immediate shelter while laying the groundwork for durable solutions like tenancy rights, income stability, and health care access.
The Road Ahead: What Liverpool Can Do
Advocates say the city must double down on trauma-informed housing policies. This includes rapid access to safe housing for survivors, transitional accommodations while asylum or residency claims are resolved, and robust case management that connects housing with healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. For Everton fans and compassionate neighbors, the focus should be on creating a safety net that recognizes the humanity of survivors, rather than reducing them to their past experiences. A small step can be the difference between another night on the streets and a future where Arjeta can pursue her goals with dignity.
Calling for Community Action
Readers and local supporters can help by supporting vetted charities, volunteering, or contributing to funds dedicated to housing for trafficking survivors. Encouraging policymakers to fund trauma-informed housing programs, simplified access to public services, and faster resolution processes for migration status can transform more than just one life in Liverpool. It can strengthen the city’s reputation as a place of resilience, compassion, and second chances.
Conclusion: A City’s Promise to Its Residents
Arjeta Folla’s story is not just about hardship; it is a call to action. It is a reminder that a home is more than a shelter — it is a foundation for healing, hope, and a future worth fighting for. Liverpool can be a city that honors its people, offering secure housing, sustained support, and a community ready to help survivors reclaim their lives. The next chapter for Arjeta—and many others like her—depends on collective will and concrete, compassionate action.
