IT is increasingly apparent that the UK Government is incapable of delivering an immigration system that reflects Scotland’s values of compassion and dignity, the Justice Secretary has said.
Humza Yousaf (below) was responding to an urgent question at Holyrood from Green MSP Patrick Harvie following the mass protest in Pollokshields on Thursday, triggered after Home Office officials tried to detain two Indian nationals on Eid – the religious festival that marks the end of Ramadan.
A crowd of more than 1000 people descended on Kenmure Street, gathering around and even under the van trying to remove the men.
Harvie asked Yousaf what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government and Police Scotland over the community’s response to the attempted immigration enforcement action.
READ MORE: Assa Samake-Roman: As an immigrant, I was proud to call Scotland home yesterday
Yousaf said he and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had spent a “significant” time engaging with the Home Office, whose actions were “unacceptable”, and Police Scotland to seek a safe resolution. He said: “The actions of the Home Office yesterday were at best utterly incompetent, at worst intended to provoke. Either way they were completely unacceptable.
“Through the day, I was in regular discussion with Police Scotland as they updated me on the operational approach to the Home Office action, which in my view, placed them in an invidious position.
“I was pleased to see a statement from Police Scotland yesterday evening, which noted those detained had been released back into their community, and subsequently that those protesting dispersed peacefully.”
Yousaf said he raised his concerns with the director of immigration enforcement for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and urged him to abandon the forced removal.
“Unfortunately, no Home Office ministers deemed this issue serious enough to meet with me at the time,” he said.
“I did later participate in a video call with the First Minister and the junior minister for Future Borders and Immigration Kevin Foster MP, where the First Minister made it crystal clear to the Home Office that the actions at Kenmure Street were utterly unacceptable and endangering the public’s health.
“She expressed the Scottish Government’s deep concern and anger about this operation, especially in the heart of a community celebrating Eid.”
Yousaf said the action witnessed in Kenmure Street was “completely reckless” the day after the First Minister had warned about an upsurge of Covid cases in the south side of Glasgow.
READ MORE: Glasgow and Moray to stay in Level 3 Covid restrictions for another week
He added: “Assurances were sought from the UK Government that they will never again create, through their actions, such a dangerous situation. They did not provide those assurances.
“It is increasingly clear the UK Government is incapable of delivering an immigration and asylum process that reflects Scotland’s values of compassion and dignity.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police Scotland does not have responsibility for immigration enforcement. We will, however, respond to any incident reported to us to ensure public safety and minimise disruption to the local community.”
Meanwhile, JustRight Scotland has written to Sturgeon and Yousaf calling for an end to any cooperation and data sharing between police and the Home Office unless it is a legitimate matter of public safety.
The charity insisted that now is the time to formally mitigate the “immoral and harmful practices” of immigration enforcement officials and the return of “dawn raids”.
JustRight Scotland director Jen Ang (above) said: “The hostile environment policies of the Home Office have already been found to be unlawful on many occasions.
“Whilst immigration remains reserved to Westminster, Scotland must use every and any legal tool within the devolved settlement to stand up to these dangerous and inhumane practices ... After the phenomenal community and political response on Thursday, now is the time to build on this and show that Scotland will do everything it can to be an inclusive and fair nation.”
Lawyer Aamer Anwar (above), who negotiated the release of the two migrants, added: “The actions of the Home Office were cynical and provocative ... Whilst I accept Police Scotland were not there at the start, the reality was that they responded to calls for assistance from the Home Office and then flooded the area with up to 40 riot vans and hundreds of officers – that is not policing by consent.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel