Mohammed Munib Majeedi fell to his death from a window at the OYO Metropolitan Hotel in Sheffield, where tributes have been left. Photos: Photos by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.
A five-year-old boy has died after falling out of a hotel window in the UK, just days after his family fled the Taliban and were granted asylum.According to South Yorkshire Police, Mohammed Munib Majeedi fell from a ninth-floor room at the OYO Metropolitan Hotel in Sheffield, a city in the north of England, where he was staying with his mother. The incident took place at 2.30 PM on Wednesday when emergency services were called. Mohammed and his family had been relocated to the UK as part of the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme and had reportedly arrived 15 days ago. It is reported that his father worked for the UK government in the British Embassy in Kabul. Locals MPs have expressed sadness over the incident. In a joint statement, Sheffield’s Labour MPs said: “The death of Mohammed Munib Majeedi is an unimaginable tragedy. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and supporting them at this terrible time must be everyone’s priority. After fleeing the harrowing situation in Afghanistan they sought asylum and protection in our country and it is devastating that this young boy lost his life in this way and here in the UK’s first City of Sanctuary.”The MPs are supporting calls from charity the Refugee Council to investigate his death.“The UK must be a safe haven for those fleeing the appalling horrors in Afghanistan,” the statement, from Paul Blomfield MP for Sheffield Central, Clive Betts MP for Sheffield South East, Olivia Blake MP for Sheffield Hallam, Gill Furniss MP for Sheffield Brightside and Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley, said. “We must see a clear commitment from the government to ensure this is the case."
The family are one of many Afghan refugees fleeing after the collapse of the country into the hands of the Taliban. While some have managed to find passage out of Afghanistan, many have no choice but to stay. The UK government announced it would accept 5,000 refugees this year, with 15,000 over the following five years, but MPs and refugee organisations have criticised the number for being insufficient.
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The family are one of many Afghan refugees fleeing after the collapse of the country into the hands of the Taliban. While some have managed to find passage out of Afghanistan, many have no choice but to stay. The UK government announced it would accept 5,000 refugees this year, with 15,000 over the following five years, but MPs and refugee organisations have criticised the number for being insufficient.