MP vows to join protesters to stop Serco carrying out asylum seeker evictions

By George Ryan27th June 2019News ScotlandGlasgow / Lanarkshire, Immigration, News Scotland, Refugees / Asylum, Vulnerable Adults

An SNP MP has vowed to join “thousands of volunteers” in blocking lock-change evictions against asylum seekers by security giant Serco.

During a Commons debate on the matter, Chris Stephens (Glasgow South West) told MPs the Home Office and Serco had “picked the wrong city” as he urged the Government to call a halt to these evictions.

He said: “There are thousands of volunteers signed up by the Living Rent campaign on standby and ready to step in and prevent these evictions.

“The Government should be in no doubt that if it requires Glaswegians to protect the basic rights, the basic human rights of others, by using their human rights that is what will be done.

“That right that will be chosen is the right of peaceful assembly.

“I will say this now that I will join my fellow Glaswegians to prevent these evictions.”

Serco, which provides housing arrangements to around 300 people in Glasgow, first announced that it was issuing notices to tenants who had been denied the right to remain in the UK last July.

A legal challenge from two asylum seekers against the measure in April argued that their eviction would be unlawful without a court order – however, it was dismissed by a judge.

In January it was also revealed that Serco had lost the Home Office contract in Scotland, which will be delivered by Mears Group after September.

The company has since restarted the lock-change programme in order to return any housing it rents in the city to its owners at the end of the leases which, the firm said, was “not a step we have taken lightly”.

The programme will be rolled out over the next four months with the company saying “no more than 30 people” will be issued with lock-change notices in any one week.

Responding for the Government, Home Office minister Caroline Nokes said: “The honourable gentleman refers to other individuals who have received notices to quit because their claim was found to be warranted and they were given refugee status and then needed to move on into mainstream accommodation.

“There will also have been those whose asylum claim was found not to have been substantiated and they were not in need of protection.”

Ms Noakes said support was available to help those who had their asylum claims refused.

She added: “I am always willing to consider practical ideas about how we can further encourage those whose asylum claim has been refused to accept the offer of support on these terms.”