Our quarterly newsletter to bring updates on our destitution work with figures, emerging trends, articles and individual stories.

PAIH DESTITUTION SERVICE - AN OVERVIEW

Since January 2004, Positive Action in Housing's destitution service has assisted  hundreds of  asylum seekers who have been made destitute after the refusal of their initial asylum claim. While asylum seekers remain forbidden to work to support themselves all support from the Home Office is withdrawn and they are evicted from their homes. This includes very vulnerable people: pregnant women, the elderly and children.

With our support most of our clients continue to fight for justice and eventually access Section 4 support. In the meantime they are without any support for weeks or months. Since January 2008, 48 individuals from 18 different countries approached our services for help. 23 individuals  were at risk of rough sleeping and needed us to provide accommodation until Section 4 accommodation was made available to them.  

July 2008 - 2nd Edition

Pregnant and Destitute for 65 Days! 08

Hong Yan has finally been given Section 4 accommodation by the Home Office after being destitute for 65 days. She had to wait until her pregnancy had reached 7 months before the Home Office would give her somewhere to stay. Until then, she was forced to move 21 times between our volunteers and temporary hostels. Positive Action In Housing supported her for a total of 55 nights. As if this was not enough, Hong’s Section 4 application was lost by Home Office ,which caused delays for a further 10 days.  

Positive Action In Housing Hardship Funds – Second Quarter

From April to June we spent £4121 supporting 61 destitute asylum seekers and 7 children. The money provided a total of 328 nights shelter. Our volunteers provided 204 nights within their own homes ,while 124 nights were provided in hostels. The money from our hardship funds prevented 33 people from sleeping rough.

Emmaus - A ray of hope 

We often come across cases that are grim and disturbing . Meeting Junior Kueta at Emmaus last week , lifted our spirits. When he first approached us in December 2007 he had lost all hope after his asylum appeal was turned down. Junior fled Cameroon in 2002 due to political unrest when he was only 16. Since then he has been struggling to rebuild his life.

We supported him for 4 weeks and then referred him to Emmaus, a project which offered him a comfortable room and an opportunity to live and work within the community. The Emmaus community has its own money making business, recycling household goods and furniture. Junior Kueta learnt new skills with the help of their workshop which gave him a chance to get back his self-respect .

Emmaus Glasgow offers homeless people a place where they can feel safe and secure, where they can enjoy companionship and the support of a community. Companions, as residents are called are involved in every aspect of the business as well as running and maintaining the place. They follow a weekly rota to cook, clean and carry out other domestic duties to keep the place running in an orderly manner. The project currently hosts 22 companions and runs three furniture shops in Glasgow. Junior fled Cameroon in 2002 due to political unrest when he was only 16. Since then he has been struggling to rebuild his life.  

YOU HELPED US MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Between January and June 2008, PAIH destitution service gave 344 grants for accommodation and subsistence. 237 grants were for food and subsistence and 107 grants were for accommodation in hostels. Our services were busiest in May when a total of 67 grants went out to destitute asylum seekers. We have managed to continue providing these grants only because you have made it possible through your generous donations and by supporting our work.

In The News- Independent Asylum Commission report 

The Independent Asylum Commission published its second report ’Safe Return’ based on a nationwide citizen’s review of the asylum system. The report sets out the Commissioner’s conclusions and recommendations on “What happens when we refuse people sanctuary?” It’s interim finding published in March 2008 gathered evidence from several hundred individuals and organisations on their perception of asylum in U.K and the values British people believe in about responding to those seeking asylum.

The commission concludes that the existing system of dealing with asylum seekers in UK has serious weaknesses despite the recent reforms and recommends that UK Border Agency should develop a ‘New Deal for Safe and Sure Returns’ for the future.  

April 2008 - 1st Edition

HOW WE HELP

Between January and March, we provided 247 nights of accommodation to destitute asylum seekers. This has been possible due to private donations from the public and our Accommodation Register of Volunteers from all over Scotland; people who are willing to help us make a difference. Patricia joined our accommodation register in November 2007. Since then she has helped on several occasions by providing a place to stay for a few nights. Hua Qin stayed with Patricia when 6 months pregnant, while she waited for Section 4. The picture on the right shows Patricia, Hua Qin and Baby Luo Si Xie now 3 months old.

Sally and Asi’s story

“I first heard about Positive Action In Housing at a conference I attended in February. I am a member of the Iona Community and wanted to uphold Gospel values. So I decided to give a bit to a destitute person. I was motivated by my concern over the unfair treatment of asylum seekers by Home Office on one particular occasion. The first person I welcomed was Asi, age 19 from Iraq. Asi was destitute and was waiting for Section 4 to be granted. He had nowhere to go. PAIH contacted me and I agreed to accommodate him for a week. We had our apprehensions about each other but when I met him they soon dissolved.”

PAIH Hardship Funds– First quarter

We spent £3970 from our hardship funds which includes spending money to provide 104 nights in hostels to prevent rough sleeping. £1150 out of this was spent to support people who had applied for Section 4 and were waiting for support to be granted. £500 was given to 12 individuals so they could have a bit of financial independence while being welcomed by volunteers.

Good News At Last!

Dana arrived in the UK from Ukraine with her husband Igor and her daughter Lynda in 2000. Their asylum claim was rejected by the Home Office in September 2005 and they were forced into destitution. Igor was receiving hospital treatment when he lost his home. He was denied any support in spite of the fact that he had worked lawfully in the country for 3 yrs, making full National Insurance contributions. The family stayed with friends but had to rely on cash handouts from PAIH to buy food and essential goods. After lodging a fresh claim in April 2006, they received Section 4 support and accommodation. This month, they have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain. Celebrating this event with us they told us “We always felt at home in Glasgow. Now that we have the right to stay, we can fully concentrate on our studies and jobs that we want to.”

URGENT APPEAL FOR DONATIONS

Charities and Public Bodies are not allowed to use any public funds from local or Central government to provide food and shelter to appeal right exhausted asylum seekers. We are therefore forced to collect donations from members of the public to provide small amounts of cash for food or shelter in hostels or in the homes of our volunteers. To continue this humanitarian aid, we need your help. Unless we can secure donations, this service, the only one of its kind in Scotland, must close. Please help make a difference by giving a regular or one-off donation to this important humanitarian work. Please see www.paih.org for further details or contact us at 0141 3532220

Take Action

Download our Taking Action Destitution Pack to find out about other ways you can help - Click here

---