News - Positive Action in Housing

15 September 2021

Shafiq Mohammed, Asylum rights campaigner, 3 September 1966 – 8 September 2021

By Robina Qureshi Sometime in 1993, a 27 year old Pakistani-Scots university student dropped by my office. He asked if he could volunteer. Shafiq Mohammed said he was interested in social housing. He took a great interest in the area of discrimination in social housing affecting poor people. We discussed discriminatory policies,…

26 August 2021

The Afghan Crisis and the need for the U.K. Government to recognise the worth of refugee hosting networks

Positive Action in Housing is geared up and ready to offer homes to Afghan civilians through our Room for Refugees Network. We are extremely concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We fully expect to see a surge in referrals of Afghans in the coming weeks and months similar…

19 August 2021

Safe return to the office!

It’s not how it used to be, but today was the first time we had a significant staff presence in our office since March 2020. Everyone in our team is self testing twice weekly – Sundays and Wednesdays – and mask wearing is Mandatory as well as ventilation of…

17 August 2021

Afghan Resettlement Scheme

Responding to the news that Britain will launch a new resettlement scheme for Afghans who are most in need of help, especially women and girls, after the Taliban seized control of the country, Robina Qureshi, Director of Positive Action in Housing said: “We welcome the news that the U…

6 July 2021

Patel’s anti refugee bill

With the “Nationality and Borders Bill” the UK is torching its international human rights obligations under the 1951 refugee convention. We are in danger of committing crimes against humanity by turning back those in need of safety and treating them as criminals. History will shame us. Human beings will…

28 June 2021

Offshore processing of asylum seekers?

More false flags from Priti Patel the home secretary, with her latest “plan” to send refugees somewhere far away while their applications are processed. There is nothing she can do to stop asylum seekers arriving by small boats across the Channel. Successive British governments have been trying and it is…

28 June 2021

Renewed call for independent, public inquiry into treatment of Glasgow asylum seekers

Add your name in support of a public inquiry Positive Action in Housing is renewing its call for a public inquiry into the treatment of Glasgow asylum seekers housed by Mears Group. 3,340 organisations and private citizens, including Scottish MPs and the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, have now backed our demand. …

24 June 2021

Timeline of Glasgow’s deadly accommodation crisis

More refugees die here in the UK, in Home Office accommodation, than in Calais or trying to cross the Channel. Refugees are the world’s most resilient people. Many have crossed the Sahara desert and made it through the hell of Libya, facing unimaginable hardship to get this far.…

19 June 2021

Asylum housing contractor condemned for inhumane Housing conditions

The Mears Group has accommodated a victim of slavery and modern trafficking, and sufferer if severe PTSD, in dangerous and delapidated accommodation in Newcastle. See photographs from today. M, a nominee for an Amnesty Bravery Award, and a well known Volunteer in Newcastle, has bravely decided to speak out because…

10 June 2021

Call to Action – the Aspen Card Crisis

Add your name in support Over 80* refugee and migrant organisations, lawyers and academics across Scotland, Wales and England have signed an open letter to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to raise questions about the ongoing Aspen Card Crisis and the card contractor PrePaid Financial Services. Almost three weeks after…