Mohammed Shamuz Miah (Burnley, UK)
My Journey
Mohammed Shamuz Miah came to the UK using a voucher issued by the government to people migrating to the country after the 1962 Commonwealth Immigration Act:
It was published in the newspapers that the British government was giving voucher visas. I went to Sylhet Town and filled out the form. I collected the voucher at the end of 1963 and came to this country on 15 January 1964…
He landed at Heathrow and came to Burnley by taxi. He had a 'cousin-brother' (fufato bhai) there who paid for the taxi and helped him find work.
When I came to this country, I had no work for six weeks. I had no money in my pocket. My fufato bhai was here and he was working in a cotton mill. He helped me get a job in the mill…
We came here to earn money. We were born in a poor country. We came to a developed country to earn money. We had no wish to settle here. We intended to earn some money and go back home with the money and settle over there.
