GLASGOW City Council has agreed to write to the Scottish Government to ask it to fund emergency housing for destitute asylum seekers and migrants in the city.
The call was brought by the Scottish Greens as an amendment to an SNP motion heard at a full council meeting on Thursday, which called for urgent changes to the asylum system. They included the right to work for asylum seekers and for housing contracts – due to be signed by Serco, which currently provides asylum accommodation – to be halted.
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Last month a report by the UK’s Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration found that an unacceptable number of properties provided by asylum contractors were substandard.
The proposal for emergency housing, brought by councillor Kim Long, comes after Serco announced this summer that it was planning to evict over 300 asylum seekers and refugees who it says it no longer has a legal obligation to house under the terms of its Home Office contract.
Proposed evictions were paused following a public outcry with legal challenges due to be heard next month.
It is hoped the Scottish Government will agree to fund housing for those who have been refused asylum, or do not have the legal leave to remain, which means they have no recourse to public funds and so cannot access statutory services such as local authority housing or UK benefits.
It has been argued that poor decision making by the Home Office is causing unnecessary suffering – 28% of those in Glasgow were granted asylum at appeal between 2013-16. Many spent months or even years in destitution. Currently the Glasgow night shelter for destitute asylum seekers, funded by trusts and donations, has capacity for 22 men in a council-owned building. But it is currently unable to accept women and has warned that more space is urgently needed.
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Charity Positive Action in Housing runs a Room for Refugee scheme, in which volunteers offer a spare room to destitute migrants, and Refugee Survival Trust, another charity, has a few spaces to offer.
But it is claimed alarming levels of destitution, combined by the continuing threat of eviction for those who Serco considers over-stayers, mean services will struggle to cope.
In February a Red Cross report revealed that it had worked with more than 1500 destitute asylum seekers based in Glasgow in just 12 months. They were homeless and lived off food banks and charity hand-outs.
It has also raised concerns about people being put in dangerous or exploitative situations, including domestic servitude, in order to escape the streets.
The council overwhelmingly backed the amended motion at last week’s meeting. It also called for an amnesty option for people who’ve been waiting more than three years for a decision, and for national asylum accommodation contracts to be run by the public sector.
Councillor Long, who is writing for the Sunday National today (right), said: “No one should be made homeless and destitute. That’s why Greens want Glasgow to lead the way in providing emergency housing for asylum seekers faced with heartless Home Office evictions.”
In June, the Scottish Government’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG) recommended that funding should be made available for short term emergency accommodation for destitute migrants who are not entitled to statutory homelessness assistance. This has not yet been provided.
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Long added: “Glasgow is ready to make that happen but we need the Scottish Government to make the funding available.”
Councillor Susan Aitken, council leader, claimed it was also essential that the UK Government listened to the concerns of the local authority. “It’s absolutely vital for the well-being of the whole asylum dispersal system that the UK Government significantly ups its game regarding engagement with local authorities,” she said.
“Not only do they need to listen to and act upon the concerns of cities like Glasgow but they must provide the resources for us to deliver what is best for some of the most traumatised and vulnerable people on the planet.”
Graham O’Neill, policy officer at Scottish Refugee Council, claimed that destitute was “designed” into the asylum system, with people at various stages of the process left vulnerable to losing both support and housing.
“The Home Office leaves charities and local councils to pick up the pieces and try to provide an unfunded safety net but it’s just not good enough,” he added.
“Scotland has its own agenda to end homelessness and it is having immediate practical benefits. Ending refugee destitution must be a part of this. In that way, Scotland would model what the Home Office should be doing.
“Properly funded emergency accommodation is the first and most important step towards achieving this. Most people we’ve spoken to agree and share our view that public funding for a shelter can be provided within the law especially if done through charities established to provide safe shelter.
“We are desperate to see some action on this as it’s only when people have access to the basics – food, shelter, safety – that they can be expected to think longer term and make difficult decisions about their situations. Most importantly, it saves and restores lives.”
Sheila Arthur, of the Asylum Seeker Housing (ASH) Project, said the small organisation was currently supporting about 100 destitute asylum seekers, many of whom were relying on foodbanks to survive, and who were not receiving the support and services they were legally entitled to.
“We welcome Glasgow City Council’s commitment to supporting vulnerable asylum seekers in the city,” she said.
“We look forward to working more closely with the council to highlight failures in current service provision and hopefully jointly develop projects to ensure they all receive the care and support that they need.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson told the Sunday National: “We have yet to receive the details of this proposal. Scotland’s legislation and preventative approach means everyone has the right to temporary accommodation.
“We will continue to work with partners to address more complex needs than just a roof over someone’s head, and will carefully consider any proposal that seeks to support migrants in Scotland.”
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