Plaque marks refugee arrival
Date published: 01 June 2009
PRIDE in Oldham . . . from left, Myzafer Alushi (counsellor for the Albanian Embassy) the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Jim McArdle, and Osman Caka
A PLAQUE to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Oldham welcoming a desperate group of Kosovan refugees has been unveiled.
Osman Caka and his family arrived at Chadderton Town Hall on May 27, 1999, and were given hot food, new clothing and somewhere to sleep.
They were among the second batch of refugees who arrived in Oldham with just the clothes they were wearing.
Osman, his wife Nevrije and their three remaining sons fled the province during the Balkan war. Son Ilir was killed by Serbian troops.
The family moved to a house in Sherwood Street, Oldham, and in 2000 Osman received permission to return to Kosovo to give his son a proper burial.
Osman and his family endured more stress when their pleas for asylum were turned down by the Home Office in 2004. They were reduced to living on hand outs and food parcels until they won their appeal in April that year.
Osman, an Albanian, now lives in Clayton but says he has never forgotten the kindness shown to him by Oldhamers. He said: “I am delighted that this plaque has been put up in Chadderton Town Hall to mark 10 years since Kosovan refugees arrived in Oldham.
“The town showed me and my family great kindness and I will always be grateful.”
