Asylum seekers dropped their letters from The UKBA into the fire in protest
By Erik Geddes
Photograph by Stuart Maxwell
Anger over the treatment of Glasgow’s asylum community saw a crowd of 500 people burn letters outside the UK Border Agency (UKBA) on Saturday 20 November.
Earlier in November Glasgow City Council’s (GCC) contract to house 600 families – around 1300 people – was terminated by the UKBA.
This was followed by a letter from the UKBA telling asylum seekers staying in property provided by GCC that they could be moved elsewhere in Scotland with three to five days’ notice.
A stay of execution has been granted which means that no evictions will commence until early February 2011 and the amount of notice has been put up to 14 days.
However, the outrage at what is widely recognised as callous behaviour by the UKBA remains as strong as the will to reverse the policy. The contract between the UKBA and the GCC was worth £10 million annually and it remains unclear how the 1300 asylum seekers, until now provided for by the GCC, will be housed. Y People and the Angel Group are the two other, main private bodies providing homes for asylum seekers in Glasgow
The asylum seekers at the protest on Saturday 20 November were backed by cross party political support, the STUC, several voluntary organisations, many faith groups and churches and ordinary Glaswegians.
On Thursday 18 November, pupils from Lourdes Secondary School in Cardonald, handed a petition with 1000 signatures to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond which called for asylum seekers to be allowed to stay in the city.
Mr Salmond wasn’t present at the rally but passed on his support from Holyrood.
Johann Lamont, Member of Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Pollock, highlighted the responsibility of Glasgow Westminster MPs, who are expected to meet with Immigration Minister Damien Green this week.
She said: ‘The critical role is for MPs in Glasgow. They have managed to get a temporary stop on any evictions.
‘Today’s demonstration shows the public support but we need top level political pressure too.’
She added: ‘I’m proud to be part of the success story and the only city in Scotland that did take dispersal of asylum seekers and it’s vital that we continue to embrace that.’
The UKBA explained their decision in a press release: ‘Despite UK Border Agency offering an increase on what are, already, the highest accommodation charges in the UK outside London, we were unable to reach an agreement with Glasgow City Council.’
Glasgow City Council said they regretted the breakdown of the contract. Despite many months of negotiation they were adament that the standard of accommodation offer to asylum seekers had to be the same as for any other homeless person in the city. The UKBA was not prepared to pay the price that GCC required to continue that level of accommodation and of support services. Glasgow has 40 people providing support services and it is unclear if those jobs would be included with any new accommodation provider.
Not on the platform, but at the back of the crowd, was former Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan. Mr Sheridan – currently on trial for perjury at the High Court in Glasgow – looked tired but took time out to tell LOCAL NEWS GLASGOW: ‘These are ordinary men and women who have fled torture from all the corners of the earth. It’s a basic tenet of humanity that you offer some solace and support to the most vulnerable in society.’
Robina Qureshi, Director of Positive Action in Housing, gave a rousing speech to say that the situation was inhuman and the process of mass evacuation of people had to be stopped. She dropped a match into a drum to light the fire. Hundreds of asylum seekers then, bravely, went forward to consign their letter of removal to the flames.
