THE WORK and Pensions Secretary faces criticism after repeatedly failing to express compassion when asked about the death of Mercy Baguma.
The asylum seeker, from Uganda, was found dead in her Glasgow flat next to her crying baby last month.
Mercy was said to be living in “extreme poverty” after losing her right to work in the UK.
More than £50,000 was crowdfunded to cover her funeral expenses and provide for her young son, who is now in the custody of his father.
Speaking to Tory minister Therese Coffey this morning, Kay Burley asked her if she had any comments on the tragic events.
“I think I know the situation, and it’s the lady with the immigration status that may have changed,” the DWP Secretary said.
“This really is a matter for the Home Office to decide what the immigration status is for each individual. I’m conscious that people can also apply for changes to the Home Office if they are struggling with aspects of that and the Home Office can make that change so they can get access to public funds.
“But I’m afraid I don’t know the individual details of this lady.”
“When people are in difficult situations there are ways the government can help, but it may need an application from them to say I need some help."@theresecoffey addresses the death of Mercy Baguma, after refusing to discuss the matter on a visit to Glasgow. JM#KayBurley pic.twitter.com/Y3TqmvKtKL
— Kay Burley (@KayBurley) September 2, 2020
Burley replied to say she understands that, but knows Coffey as a “compassionate” woman and asked again for her comment.
“Well I don’t know the exact ins and outs, I know it happened in Glasgow fairly recently but really the Home Office is the person who decided whether or not –“
Burley interrupted again to ask Coffey to comment as a “human being”.
But the DWP Secretary responded: “What I’m trying to say Kay is when people are in very difficult situations like that and they’re looking for help from the Government there are ways they can access that help but I don’t know the individual case.”
The journalist again tried to cut through. “I’m giving you the opportunity to be compassionate,” she told Coffey. “You know enough to know that this woman died and her starving baby was found next to her.”
“And as I’ve said Kay when people are in very difficult situations there are ways that the Government can help but it may need an application from them to say ‘I need some help in this way’. So I don’t know the exact details there but the Government has been helping millions of people across the country, people without recourse to public funds can apply to the Government to get a change in their status so they can get support but that takes them through a Home Office route and then organisations like the DWP can help.”
READ MORE: Putting together the pieces of tragic story of Mercy Baguma one week on
Online there was an angry response to the minister’s comments. SNP depute leader Keith Brown said the Tory’s failure to show compassion was “absolutely appalling”.
He wrote: “Therese Coffey, asking repeatedly to express compassion regarding the tragic case of Mercy Baguma, refuses to do so, saying she doesn’t know the details.”
He added the DWP Secretary has told the Scottish Parliament she will not sit before the Social Security Committee.
Zoe Gardner, policy adviser to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, added: “Our MPs don't have a basic understanding of the immigration system, how can its users?”
Other Twitter users called Coffey “callous” and “cold-hearted”.
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