Sleepout focus on asylum plight

A public “sleepout” is being held in Glasgow’s George Square to highlight the case of refused asylum seekers who are homeless.

The event is being organised by the charity, Positive Action in Housing, to focus on the government’s “destitution policy towards asylum seekers”.

But the UK Government denied any such policy existed.

A spokeswoman said asylum seekers were treated with “respect and humanity” and there was no need for destitution.

However, charity director, Robina Qureshi, said government policy on immigration, which is reserved to Westminster, “is not working and carries a devastating human cost”.

“Many people seeking asylum whose claims are turned down are unable to return home but they are denied all state support,” she said.

“They have no money for food, shelter, and the everyday things we take for granted. This misery is a direct consequence of government policy.

“Destitution is being used to drive people out of the country - but many thousands simply cannot leave and are now homeless and hungry.

“We are encouraging our supporters and members to take part in a sleepout to highlight the plight of hundreds of people refused asylum.”

But a spokeswoman for the UK Border Agency said there was “no need for asylum seekers to be destitute”.

She said: “The government is committed to providing protection for individuals found to be genuinely in need, in accordance with our commitments under international law.

‘Right to work’

“We will ensure a system that is humane and compassionate. We only return those individuals who we, and the independent courts, have found to have no fear of persecution or serious harm upon return to their home country.

“We provide measures that ensure that individuals are not destitute and work to ensure that all are treated with respect and humanity.”

Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell said the Scottish Government would continue to argue the case for asylum and immigration issues to be devolved.

“We support the restoration of the right to work,” he said.

“Asylum seekers, at all stages of the process, should be treated with humanity and respect.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7449136.stm
BBC NEWS

Glasgow Summer Sleepout 2008

Positive Action in Housing is organising its 2nd Annual Sleepout in Glasgow City centre on Thursday 19 June 2008 from 7pm, on George Square.

Many people seeking asylum whose claims are turned down are unable to return home. But they are denied all state support, thrown out of their housing and are not allowed to work. They have no money for food, shelter, and the everyday things we take for granted. This misery is a direct consequence of government policy. Destitution is being used to drive people out of the country – but many thousands simply cannot leave and are now homeless and hungry.

We are encouraging our supporters and members to take part in a sleepout to highlight the plight of hundreds of people refused asylum who are being deliberately made destitute in Glasgow by government policy. This attempt to try to force people to leave this country is not working, and carries a devastating human cost.

The sleepout will be attended by members of the public, destitute asylum seekers, faith leaders, politicians and celebrities, all of whom are disgusted with the destitution policy towards asylum seekers.

If you wish to take part, please email sleepout@paih.org and we will send you information.

If you would like to help raise money for Positive Action in Housing’s hardship fund for destitute asylum seekers, please also let us know and we will arrange to send you information.

Keep checking back for updates and more information, but you can find out more about last year’s sleepout by following the links below.

Please call Jamie on 0141 353 2220 if you, your workplace, charity, school or youth group would like to get involved.

Sponsorship

Thinking of taking part in the sleepout? Then why not support our Hardship fund by getting your friends, workmates and family to sponsor you?

If you would like to be sponsored for taking part in the sleepout then please let us know by emailing sleepout@paih.org and use this sponsorship form (ms word). Please print off as many as you need. We would ask that all monies raised from sponsorship are given to Jamie or Omer on the night, or handed into Positive Action in Housing, 98 West George Street, Glasgow G2 by June 26, 2007.

More Information

Over 100 sleepout in Glasgow

Scotland’s Summer Sleepout Photos

Destitution Bulletin - April 08

NEWS FROM UNITY CENTRE GLASGOW

Sharon Sylvia Nasuna and her two year old son were detained yesterday at the home office on Brand Street, Glasgow. She was going into the home office to hand in her fresh Asylum claim when they were detained. So far the immigration authorities have failed to look at her claim and are continuing to detain her despite the fact that even their own regulations say that they cannot detain a person who has a claim pending.

Even without taking into account Sharon’s experiences in Uganda and the treatment she faces if returns it is despicable that this woman and her child have been detained whilst she had new evidence to support her case in her hand!

Please help us get Sharon and Shaun out of detention by faxing the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and demanding that she intervene and release Sylvia and Shaun.

Fax the Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, MP, Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that Syharon Sylvia Nasuna and her son are released and returned to Glasgw. Please remember to include Sharon’s Home Office Reference Number N1137405

Fax 020 7035 4745 / from outside UK+44 207 035 4745

*No fax machine? No matter!*
If you have a computer and access to the internet you do not need a fax machine to fax.

There are two methods of faxing:
From your browser go to:
http://www.tpc.int/sendfax.html
(the number must be entered with the country code
so 020 7035 4745 (Home Office) would be 44 20 7035 4745

Send a fax via email
Use this email address format :
remote-printer.recipient_name@fax_number.iddd.tpc.int

So, to send the fax to Jacqui Smith put:
remote-printer.Jacqui_Smith@442070354745.iddd.tpc.int
Just copy your fax message into the body of the email.

Thanks for your support

Unity!!

–
The Unity Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow G51 1AQ

0141 427 7992

theunitycentre@btconnect.com
www.unitycentreglasgow.org

How we can take action to stop the destitution of people seeking asylum

Still Human, Still Here

How we can take action to stop the destitution of people seeking asylum
Saturday 2 February 10am to 1.30pm
Renfield St Stephens Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP

Map: http://tinyurl.com/yoyufs
A crisis of destitution is facing asylum seekers in Scotland. This mini-conference, organised with refugees, Positive Action in Housing and Church Action on Poverty will inform, equip and inspire you on what you can do to take a stand against destitution. It will also give you a tasty lunch!

Whether you’ve only just discovered the destitution in our midst or you’ve been active for a while, this event is for you. A film and campaigning resources will be launched and you will hear from those who have experienced destitution.

For more information or to book a place please contact us at elodiem@paih.org or by phoning 0141 353 2220

Do you have any special requirements? Some help will be available for transport, physical access, interpretation, childcare or dietary requirements. You must let us know so that we can make it as easy as possible for you to attend. Get in touch if you would like to set up a stall.

Help us to publicise this event, please forward this e-mail to your contacts, download and display the poster for this event.

Poster is available at: http://www.church-poverty.org.uk/campaigns/livingghosts/SHSH%20Scotland%20flierA5.pdf

Background info on destitution is available at: http://www.stillhuman.org.uk/

Come along, be inspired and take action!

A push for equality

EDITORIAL COMMENT
The Herald

We may like to think we’re all Jock Tamson’s bairns, but 29% of Scots say there is sometimes good reason to be prejudiced. The results from the latest Scottish Social Attitudes Survey is a sharp shock to a country that has long prided itself on being welcoming to immigrants and - despite the scars of sectarianism - less racist than other places. It is particularly disappointing that the figure of those willing to condone prejudice has risen by 3% since 2002 and there is evidence of increasing prejudice against Muslims, despite a well-established Muslim community here. In response to being asked if Scotland would lose its cultural identity if more Muslims came to live here, the proportion who agreed increased from 38% to 50%. No doubt the 9/11 attack on New York and the London bombings of July 2005 played a part, but the interviews were carried out before the attempted bombing of Glasgow airport earlier this year.

As would be expected, older and less-educated people expressed more prejudice. This is no guarantee, however, that young people, used to living in a multi-ethnic society, will be better integrated and less discriminatory than previous generations: it emerged earlier this year that people under 20 were responsible for half the racist incidents in 2005-6. That suggests we cannot assume attitudes will change along with society, but that an educational programme is required. Prejudice is more complex than being negative about people different from oneself. There can be a telling difference between people’s claims not to be prejudiced and how they actually react in a personal situation. A question about a close relative forming a relationship with someone produced a wide variation, with the prospect of a relationship with a transsexual causing 50% distress, to one in 10 who would be unhappy with someone who was black or Asian, Jewish or from a Chinese background. Yet the current climate of suspicion is obvious when 24% say they would be unhappy about a close relationship with a Muslim (compared with 20% in 2003).

Although 65% of people agree that “Scotland should do everything to get rid of all kinds of prejudice”, the depth of the problem is revealed by specific instances. For example, there are particular prejudices against gipsies/travellers and transsexuals being primary school teachers. The proportion of people who think same-sex relationships are wrong has dropped, yet 51% of people believe a B&B owner should be able to refuse a booking for a same-sex couple.

Stewart Maxwell, the Communities Minister, speaks of change taking time. That is true, but it makes it all the more urgent to start promoting equality: this research reveals the uncomfortable evidence that the One Scotland, Many Cultures campaign undertaken by the previous Scottish Executive still has a long way to go. The SNP has expressed a similar ambition for a comfortably pluralist society. The sooner we achieve that the better, but it won’t happen if we leave the prejudices to fester into acts of discrimination that should have no place in 21st-century Scotland.