Roof article 21/11/00

It is ironic that in the same week that the Macpherson report was praised for its stand against 'institutional racism', the House of Commons approved the government's Asylum and Immigration Bill. That irony carries on today and makes hollow the government’s rhetoric about connecting communities and the Human rights Act, which has just become law in the UK.

 
Earlier this year, Glasgow agreed a £100 million deal to take 2,500 dispersed asylum seekers plus their dependents every year over the next five or six years.  The council has thousands of empty houses (6,280 to be exact, and 2,458 which no one else wants to live in). It is these empty houses that the asylum seekers are getting.

But by allocating housing through the National Asylum Support Service, local housing providers have their hands tied even if they do want to help refugee communities. In one case a Palestinian widower with 2 young children (a daughter aged 8 and a son aged 9) is today living amongst 150 predominantly single male asylum seekers in YMCA hostel. Positive Action in Housing approached the councils Asylum Support Team for help to get the family out of the hostile, intimidating atmosphere. The council agreed, however a few days later, the National Asylum Support Service refused permission for the family to move, stating that the Secretary of State is not satisfied that it is necessary or appropriate to reallocate accommodation elsewhere. Accommodation is allocated on the basis of basic needs of the individual on a no choice basis, and the Secretary of State does not propose to offer alternative accommodation. But, if nothing else, what about the rights of the children? Apparently, the poolroom, which is dominated by single males, constitutes adequate leisure facilities.

 
The fear of authority is such that many asylum-seekers daren't complain about appalling living conditions for fear of a hostile response or deportation. We have several cases of asylum seekers who want to return to London or their homeland to be close to their own communities, such is their isolation or the extent of hostility or even worse, racist attacks, they have experienced in Scotland. However, where complaints have been made of racist harassment, the authorities have suggested that this is an excuse to be sent back down to London. This type of scenario gives an indication of just how voiceless asylum seekers are, being patronised and condescended to without a right of reply or an understanding of their basic rights. There are very few agencies that represent the needs of asylum seekers although some groups such as the Glasgow Asylum Rights Campaign have emerged to support individual cases and challenge government’s policy on asylum seekers. Concerns have however been expressed about the conflict of interest of agencies that are funded by the National Asylum Support Service yet claim to represent the needs of asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers lack specialist advice services: Nothing significant appears to have been set up in areas of dispersal prior to the arrival of asylum seekers. The Asylum Support Team in Glasgow seems to only offer a narrow service; the provision of support workers and interpreters are only meeting part of the needs of asylum seekers. There is a lack of legal and advice services sensitive to their needs, and the concentration of law specialists in and around London means that once they are dispersed away from the South East, asylum seekers are unable to access legal advice. Furthermore existing charities have more pressure placed upon them. Positive Action in Housing, for example, has had to divert some of its resources away from casework, to carrying out the mundane but necessary task of organising donations of basics like clothes, food and blankets.

Isolation from others who speak your language, understand your background is a major issue, if you are on vouchers and only £10 cash per week, how do you buy a transcard (£15 per week) to take you into multiracial areas where you can get community support, access ethnic minority shops, religious establishments? You don't. At a time when the home office is offering grants for 'connecting Communities' asylum seekers have never been more disconnected from multiracial communities, which are best, placed to provide support.

For the first six months of their claim, asylum seekers may not work and must exist on poverty vouchers, which are 30% below the official poverty line. Asylum seekers would benefit from trying to regain a sense of self worth and stability. We hear constantly from people who want any kind of work to get away from the headache inducing boredom of four walls in a racial harassment high rise, which they are imprisoned in because of the hostility outside. Glasgow’s black economy is thriving with some asylum seekers working secretly for as little as £1.50 an hour. One qualified doctor is working in a carry out for 40 hours a week. The Bill has effectively helped to create a rebirth of the slave trade since many illicit migrant workers are employed in exploitative conditions and for obvious reasons are unlikely to complain.

There is no doubt that this retrograde bill has to go, it contravenes the human rights act and the governments own commitment to mainstreaming and connecting communities Britain has a skills shortage and needs immigrant labour. Armed with that knowledge, surely we should be welcoming refugees rather than finding ways to exclude them from the rest of society? But that seems unlikely. The government appears intent on treating asylum seekers like criminals and last week, the Home Office confirmed that it is 'exploring the option' of building a detention centre for asylum seekers in Dungavel Prison in South Lanarkshire, which is empty and up for sale.

Robina qureshi