AN asylum seeker has spoken of his horror at the Park Inn attack.

The man, who we have agreed not to name, asked not to be identified but is a resident of another city hostelry, McLay’s Hotel, after being moved there by Home Office contractor Mears at the start of the pandemic.

His friend Adnan Elbi died there several weeks ago, but the cause of death has not yet been determined and the incident has not been connected to yesterday’s events.

But the man says many of those living in the hotels are traumatised as a result of experiences in their home countries and on the way to the UK.

Though Mears says all residents have access to NHS staff and have been given information about mental health support, the man says this is insufficient and the community is deeply troubled by the news from the Park Inn, where many have personal connections.

He said: “I’m so confused, I can’t think about anything else.

“We’ve been told nothing, all we’re doing is watching the news like everyone else but we know these people, these are our friends.

“My friend is there and I’ve been able to text him, but all I know is that he’s okay, nothing else.

“It’s like a mental hospital in here, when you take all these people and put them together like this, with all their trauma and flashbacks.

“This is a catastrophe. It’s going to be a catastrophe for all asylum seekers in Glasgow. No-one knows who did it, but it’s connected to all of us. If one asylum seeker attacks anyone, it’s also all of our problem, with Mears and the Home Office, the way we’re treated.

“People here don’t know about fascists or Nazis who hate them – a lot don’t speak English well so they don’t understand what’s going on outside. I understand.”

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Mears declined to make any statement on the events at the Park Inn, saying: “We are referring all inquiries to the Home Office as this is an ongoing police operation.”

The Park Inn is one of a number of hotels currently used to house asylum seekers during the coronavirus lockdown.

There are understood to be up to 100 men accommodated in the hotel in West George Street.

Mears Group, which has the Home Office contract for asylum services in Glasgow, moved almost 300 of those it was accommodating out of flats in Glasgow and into a number of hotels in and around the city centre following the lockdown in March.

More have been put into the hotels in recent weeks.

As well as hotel staff, there are Mears staff and NHS staff on site every day to respond to and concerns or issues among those in the rooms.

There has been some concerns raised with the group and with charities about food and living conditions, leading to a protest in George Square last week.

Asylum Seekers are entitled to £35 a week for food and essentials like toiletries.

But because they are being provided with meals and essentials in the hotel they receive no money at present.

On Thursday, the day before the incident, Mears told the Glasgow Times it did not recognise concerns that were being raised by some charities and campaigners about lack of suitable food.

People are due to begin to be gradually moved out of the hotels and back into accommodation in the coming weeks.

The Scottish Refugee council said: “Like everyone else, we are seriously worried about the situation at the Park Inn. We’re trying to get as much info as possible from Police Scotland and our thoughts are with everyone affected.”