Latest News from Positive Action in Housing

Positive Action in Housing urgently needs money to pay for our humanitarian work with destitute asylum seekers. This appeal comes at a particularly pressing time over Christmas and New Year when we are struggling to keep people from having to rough sleep in the cold weather.

Our destitution fund is a crisis service for destitute asylum seekers in Scotland. We provide money for food, shelter through budget hostels or willing volunteers prepared to host our clients for short periods of time. We believe destitution is being used as a tool by the government to “starve” people out of the country. Crucially this is applied whilst our clients’ asylum cases are still ongoing, or while fresh evidence is being prepared or submitted. The Government’s destitution policy sees people being evicted from their homes, left with no money, forbidden recourse to public funds or homeless shelters, and STILL forbidden to take up paid work.

As well as giving information and advice, we are currently distributing around £250 per week. The fund relies on solely on individual donations. We anticipate greater pressure on the fund in 2007.

We are helping pregnant women, young people and the elderly from many of the war torn countries in the world.
Last week alone, we had 9 destitute asylum seekers including children comeinto our office. We never turn anyone away. We are often the last port of call for people with absolutely nowhere else to go.

In 2006, Positive Action in Housing assisted 160 destitute people. This year we are helping even more, including children.

Here’s one example of how we made a difference.

A couple of months ago, a woman from Congo came to see us. She received removal instructions from the Home Office and was told to go to the airport in order to be removed to Congo. As soon as she received this letter the prospect of returning terrified her and simply left her flat with her 9 year old daughter and 5 year old autistic son. They became destitute but were given floor space to sleep on by other asylum seekers. We stopped the family from going hungry by giving weekly payments from our destitution fund. We advised her to get in touch with a solicitor and lodge a fresh claim. After doing so, she was granted INDEFINITE LEAVE TO REMAIN. We are now assisting her to get permanent rehousing in a safe area of her choice in Glasgow.

Can you help us to help others? I am now writing to you to see if you, your organisation, or anyone you know would be willing to give money by one-off donation or a monthly standing order, 100% of which will go directly into the destitution fund.

£5 will provide one day’s food allowance for a destitute asylum seeker. £15 will pay for one night’s hostel accommodation. £25 will provide one week’s food and essential travel money for a destitute asylum seeker. We appreciate every donation no matter how small.

Please could you also forward this appeal to others on your contact list?

HOW TO DONATE

You can make a regular donation in one of three ways:

1. Complete a standing order form and post it back to us. We will then send it to your bank.

2. Set up payments from your bank account online through internet banking. Payment should be made to: ‘Positive Action in Housing Ltd’. The name of our bank is Clydesdale bank, Sort code: 82-20-00 Account Number: 40447119.

3. Click HERE to donate online regular payments. You should have your credit or debit card handy.

DAWN raids against asylum seekers in Glasgow will continue over Christmas and New Year, the Home Office has admitted.
Around 1200 families are living in fear of being thrown out of their adopted homes at any moment by immigration.
Raids have become more frequent of late and over recent weeks families have even been targeted on Sunday mornings.
Now it’s emerged there will be no respite over the festive period which means families could be taken away to spend Christmas in Dungavel or another detention centre.

Furious campaigners who have succeeded in preventing some of the forced removals today criticised the “brutal and relentless” actions. They also warned there will be no let-up in opposition to the raids.

A spokesman for the Home Office said dawn raids were not being suspended over the Christmas and New Year period.
In a statement the spokesman added:

“UK immigration operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and officials in Scotland will be on duty over Christmas and New Year to respond to situations as they occur. Operations are intelligence led and are done for maximum exposure in accordance with proper risk assessment.”

Robina Qureshi, director of Positive Action on Housing said the potential of Christmas raids only underlined the “intolerable cruelty” which asylum seekers live with all year round. She said: “If the Home Office is going to keep up its brutal campaign over Christmas and New Year it should know it will not get any respite from the persistence of ordinary people. Asylum seekers make good neighbours and friends, they make a valuable contribution to the community. Their neighbours welcomed them with open arms and will continue to defend them.

“There are 1200 asylum-seeking families in Glasgow living in fear of being thrown out of their beds in the middle of the night. There are eight-year-old children scared to sleep in their own beds. This kind of cruelty is intolerable.”

Revd. Dr Iain Whyte, Chair, Positive Action in Housing, said:

“At a time when Christians and others are celebrating the birth of one who was accepted in Egypt as a refugee from persecution it is particularly disgraceful that families in a similar situation are faced with the fear of being dragged fromn their homes and from a secure environment and forcibly put in danger of their lives. All who care about human rights and especially those celebrating Christmas must reject this inhuman policy and take every opportunity to challenge its implementation by a government which claims to abide by the spirit of Christmas and by the standards of civilisation”

The spokesman for the Home Office said early-morning squads were only sent in to remove failed asylum seekers “as a last resort”.

He said: “They are people with no legal right to be in this country. Their applications have been rejected and they have not taken the opportunity to leave voluntarily.”

19/12/06 - Evening Times

Springburn area (G21)…………………..1942
Pollockshaws area (G43)…………………711
Kingsway(G14)……………………………. 544
Govan(G51 and G52)……………………….529
Shettleston (G31, G32, G33)……………..433
Anniesland/Drumchapel……………………311
Gorbals(G5)……………………………………..230
Maryhill (G20)……………………………………211
Kennilshead (G46)…………………………….205
plus 272 scattered elsewhere in Glasgow.

We urgently need to find a spare room or similar shelter as well as financial donations for a client who has been made absolutely destitute. Like other destitute asylum seekers, he has been left without the basic necessities of food and shelter. They are excluded from the right to work and have no access to any form of government support. Many people are literally left to rely on the support of churches and charities or forced to live on the street. Destitute asylum seekers do not even have a right to homeless shelter provision.

HASSAN 40 FROM ALGERIA

Hassan’s asylum application was refused in 1999 when he applied to the Home Office after fleeing political persecution in Algeria, his home country. All forms of support in terms of accommodation and finance have been withdrawn by NASS. Currently the Scottish Refugee Council have advised Hassan to lodge a fresh claim and he is taking steps to do so assisted by a solicitor. He intends to apply for section 4 soon. Unfortunately it may take a few weeks before Hassan receives a decision. He is vulnerable and homeless and desperately in need of a spare room or bed space for the next 2-3 weeks. He has been in the country for 7 years and is a very kind, quiet gentleman who speaks fluent English.

Do you have a spare room or space?

If you think you or someone you know has a spare room here in Glasgow and are willing to accommodate any of our clients for this interim period then please contact Positive Action in Housing on 0141 353 2220 or e-mail david@paih.org urgently.

Give a Donation

The Hardship Fund supports people in this position by giving small amounts of cash for food and basic essentials. We desperately need donations as this work is not funded by any other means.

You can make an online donation by clicking here. Or send a donation by cheque, made out to Positive Action in Housing and marked Hardship Fund on the back, to:

Destitution Appeal
Positive Action in Housing
98 West George Street
Glasgow G2 1PJ

Thank you for your support.

Positive Action in Housing appeals for accommodation for destitute clients in good faith. We realise that accepting someone into your home is not without risk. To minimise this risk we disclose all information we posses about the client to volunteers. We are available to help resolve any concerns. We have never had any difficulties with clients staying with volunteers in this way but ultimate cannot take responsibility for any problems that may arise.

We urgently need to find a spare room or similar shelter as well as financial donations for Ahmed, 21 from Sudan.

Ahmed has been destitute since March 2006. He managed with the help from friends and charities for some time but found it increasingly difficult to survive without a fixed place to stay and the uncertainties while he waited for his lawyer to gather relevant documents and evidence to lodge a fresh claim. On the 13th of December his Section 4 application has finally been sent which entitles him to Section 4 accommodation. However, he has been warned that it could take up to 2-3 weeks before he gets a reply from Home Office.

As you will know, Sudan is a country with horrific human rights problems. A recent Amnesty International report states that:

The conflict in Darfur, Sudan, has led to some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable, including systematic and widespread murder, rape, abduction and displacement. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed by both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks, and over 2.5 million civilians have been displaced. Amnesty International has again raised the urgency of its work on Darfur in an effort to stop the atrocities taking place there, but we need your help to make peace and security a reality.

Do you have a spare room or space?

If you think you or someone you know has a spare room here in Glasgow and are willing to accommodate Ahmed for this interim period then please contact us on 0141 353 2220 or e-mail Jamie@paih.org

Give a Donation

The Hardship Fund supports people in this position by giving small amounts of cash for food and basic essentials. We desperately need donations as this work is not funded by any other means.

You can make an online donation by clicking here. Or send a donation by cheque, made out to Positive Action in Housing and marked Hardship Fund on the back, to:

Destitution Appeal
Positive Action in Housing
98 West George Street
Glasgow G2 1PJ

Thank you for your support.

Positive Action in Housing appeals for accommodation for destitute clients in good faith. We realise that accepting someone into your home is not without risk. To minimise this risk we disclose all information we posses about the client to volunteers. We are available to help resolve any concerns. We have never had any difficulties with clients staying with volunteers in this way but ultimate cannot take responsibility for any problems that may arise.