Bedri, 26 years old, from Albania

Some people with a truck offered to help me get to the UK, and I agreed to pay a lot of money to be brought here. I left Albania in search of a better life, but when I arrived, I found myself in danger.

They had promised to help me find a job so I could settle and start my new life, but the day after I arrived, they took me to work in a house where they were growing cannabis. For three months, I was kept alone and not allowed to leave, forced to look after the cannabis plants. I knew the work was illegal, but I had no other choice. I didn’t know what to do. I was constantly stressed, unsure how long I would be trapped there. I was too afraid to run away – they told me I’d be in serious trouble if I tried.

One morning, while I was asleep, three or four masked men broke in, carrying a large knife. They attacked me, slicing my hand down the middle. They sprayed something in my eyes so I couldn’t see, and I screamed as they held a knife to my neck, warning me to stay silent. They only left when they heard police sirens.

At the hospital, I had to wait for surgery on my hand. It was difficult to be seen, and the police had to intervene to make sure I got treatment. They helped me a lot – while I was hospitalised for two days, they stayed by my side 24 hours a day. Even after I was discharged, they called me every day to check that I was okay.

After leaving the hospital, I went to live with my cousin. The police investigated for six months, but in the end, they told me they hadn’t caught anyone, and the case was closed. I desperately wanted to know who had done this to me, but I never got any answers. I haven’t been the same since.

People in Albania always told me good things about the UK, but the reality is very different. My advice to others is not to take the same route I did – I wouldn’t wish my experience on anyone. Everyone wants a better life, but this is not the way to find it. I think many people in Albania don’t really understand how things are here. Back home, we don’t have jobs or benefits or opportunities, so people feel they have no choice but to leave. They believe it’s easy to come here and make a lot of money – I believed it too. But it’s not like that.