Asylum Seekers (Accommodation)

First Minister's Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 12:00 pm on 18 November 2010.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Anne McLaughlin Anne McLaughlin Scottish National Party 12:00, 18 November 2010

To ask the First Minister what the impact on local communities across Scotland will be of the decision by the United Kingdom Border Agency to cancel its contract with Glasgow City Council. (S3F-2711)

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

Both Glasgow City Council and the city of Glasgow have a positive record of welcoming and working with asylum-seeking families. The Scottish Government has no jurisdiction in matters between the UKBA and Glasgow City Council. Nevertheless, the Parliament and the people of Scotland should not lose sight of the fact that the needs of the 1,300 asylum seekers—vulnerable people who have often been through very traumatic experiences—must be foremost in all considerations of what must be done next. All asylum seekers who are dispersed to Scotland must be treated fairly and humanely, and, while they are in Scotland, they must be welcomed and supported in local communities. I understand that many of them are visiting Parliament today, and I hope that that offer is made to them on a cross-party basis.

Photo of Anne McLaughlin Anne McLaughlin Scottish National Party

I, too, welcome the Glasgow asylum seekers and their friends who are in the public gallery and those who are watching in the public area.

I ask the First Minister to do two things. First, will he condemn the sickening, disgraceful letter that many asylum seekers received last week, telling them that they would have just three to five days' notice to pack no more than two suitcases and move to a location somewhere in Scotland?

Secondly, will he make the strongest representation possible to the Home Office, telling it that the UKBA must get round the table again with Glasgow City Council to ensure that the city whose Government, whose council and whose ordinary people—many of whom are in the public gallery today—have invested so much in providing the particular support that is needed by those who seek refuge is able to continue to provide that support?

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

As Anne McLaughlin knows, the matter is not within the Scottish Government's devolved competence. However, that does not mean that we have not acted. Scottish Government funds have been used in projects to improve the lives of asylum seekers and refugees, such as the Bridges Programmes in Glasgow, which helps refugees to overcome barriers to employment, and the Maryhill Integration Network, which provides language classes and activities to encourage integration.

I condemn in the strongest possible terms the nature of the letter that the asylum seekers received. I have constantly made it clear that asylum seekers should be welcomed and treated with respect and dignity in Scotland. I therefore share the concerns about the letter, which shows a lack of sensitivity and respect. It would be totally inappropriate in any circumstances, but it is reprehensible when dealing with vulnerable people. I will make those views, which I hope are shared by the whole Parliament, known to the Home Secretary, and I will make it clear that negotiations between the UKBA and Glasgow City Council should be reopened immediately.

Photo of Johann Lamont Johann Lamont Labour

I welcome and agree with the First Minister's comments about the role that Glasgow citizens and Glasgow City Council have played in their long-standing support for asylum seekers.

The First Minister may be aware that young people from Lourdes secondary school in my constituency are at the Parliament today to highlight the impact of the issuing of those awful letters on individual school students and the school community. We know about the work that has been done on the matter by Glasgow MPs and the Scottish Affairs Committee and their broad approach to it, which the First Minister mentioned. Will he consider how he and his education minister might intervene in relation to their responsibilities for the young people whose schooling is being disrupted and for whom the actions that are being taken at UK level have huge personal, social and educational consequences?

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

As the member knows, on a number of occasions in the past, on education and other grounds related to our devolved activities, we have intervened to try to secure the position of asylum seekers, and we will be delighted to do so again, in the hope of securing a better position for them.

I welcome the tone and the nature of these exchanges. It must be of encouragement to people in their extremity to see a Parliament that is united in seeking to defend the interests of vulnerable people.

Photo of Robert Brown Robert Brown Liberal Democrat

Does the First Minister share my view that the priority now must be to retain asylum seekers in their current homes and to keep their children in their current schools? Regardless of the management arrangements that are contracted for by the UKBA, stability and security are vital for such people, many of whom, as the First Minister touched on, have gone through horrendous experiences at the hands of oppressive regimes abroad.

Do the protocols regarding the treatment of asylum seekers that were arrived at with such great difficulty between successive Scottish Governments and the most recent UK Government give the Scottish Government the opportunity to discuss practical solutions to the issues at hand with the Border Agency and, indeed, the UK Government?

Photo of Alex Salmond Alex Salmond First Minister of Scotland, Leader, Scottish National Party

I must confess that I have never found the UK Border Agency to be among the foremost advocates of the respect agenda between Westminster and Scotland. Nonetheless, given that the important matter here is the treatment of people who are in a vulnerable situation, we will take up Robert Brown's suggestion and will seek to use the protocols to defend their position.