THE UK Immigration Minister, Caroline Nokes, will meet the Scottish Government today as the row over the planned eviction of asylum seekers in Glasgow continues. Nokes will be in the city as questions continue over the Home Office’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.
Glasgow City Council will also be involved in talks covering accommodation provision, including the lock change plans announced by UK Government contractor Serco.
The policy, which affects those refused refugee status, was placed on pause late last week as the company prepared for a legal challenge.
Housing and homelessness charity Shelter Scotland filed papers at Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday.
Meanwhile, Govan Law Centre was last night preparing for a hearing at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
Social housing giant Wheatley Group confirmed yesterday that it aims to “flip” the lease agreements of tenants who have been granted to leave to remain to “remove the threat of eviction”.
Its subsidiaries Glasgow Housing Association and Cube Housing Association both lease homes to Serco, which provides them to asylum seekers as part of its Home Office contract. Wheatley chief executive Martin Armstrong said it still does not know how many of these may be subject to lock changes “despite insisting on an immediate and urgent response”, and that it will provide “all humanitarian support necessary” to those affected.
Glasgow North MP Paul Sweeney has called on Nokes to “intervene and instruct Serco” against the evictions, which were scheduled to take place at a rate of 10 per week.
Serco has said it cannot afford to let them stay if it is not being paid by the Home Office. The company has also criticised “local arrangements” for failing to cater for this group, which is not allowed to work or claim benefits. However, the local authority is legally barred from housing asylum seekers, and charities have told how they are struggling with current demand.
One, the Refugee Survival Trust, has said its destitution grant fund will have to close at the end of the month unless £11,000 is secured.
Yesterday Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf insisted the Home Office’s “cruel” immigration policy requires an “injection of humanity”.
He said: “There is a complete and utter lack of humanity in the system from the UK Government, and that has to change.”
Meanwhile, Serco chief executive Rupert Soames said the lock changes would affect 80 people, not the 330 previously stated.
Insisting notices would only be served on those who have exhausted the appeals process, he told BBC Radio Scotland: “That is the total number of people we are paying for whom Home Office support has ceased.
“About one-third of them have had positive decisions and will be waiting for a month or six weeks or eight weeks to find alternative arrangements and go on and make their lives.”
Soames added: “We are not the judge of this. The Home Office is the judge of this and there has to be an end of the road.”
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