Tories distance themselves from report over ‘destitution built in asylum system’

By The Press Association22nd May 2017News ScotlandAsylum, Austerity, Government / Politics, News Scotland, Poverty / Austerity, Refugees / Asylum, Vulnerable Adults

Conservative members of a Holyrood committee have “dissented” from an official report which claims “destitution is built into the UK asylum process”.

The Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee investigated asylum and destitution, where people are left without adequate accommodation or the ability to meet essential living needs.

Committee convener, the SNP’s Christina McKelvie, said the evidence they heard pointed to “huge gaps” in the asylum system which suffers from a “serious lack of compassion and humanity”.

But Conservative member Annie Wells accused her of using a “politicised and unbalanced tone” on the issue.

The British Red Cross in Scotland told the committee the number of destitute refugees and asylum seekers it had helped in Glasgow had more than doubled from 326 in 2014 to 820 in 2016.

The committee is calling for a Scottish anti- destitution strategy and new Scottish Government advocacy service to help people with insecure immigration status in Scotland and for asylum seekers in the country to have the right to do paid community work.

Other recommendations in the report include the Scottish Government funding accommodation for a person with insecure immigration status and an infectious disease where medical staff consider this a requirement.

The committee has also asked the Scottish Government to press the UK Government on its rationale for not allowing initial and fresh claims for asylum to be made in Scotland, while the UK Government guidelines indicate anyone seeking asylum should do so immediately at their port of entry into the UK.

Ms McKelvie said: “Our inquiry exposed a serious lack of compassion and humanity in the current system, which is leading hundreds to destitution. This is simply unacceptable.

“In spite of the best efforts of voluntary organisations and some in local government, there are huge gaps in the system that need to be addressed as a matter of priority.

“That’s why we are making both specific recommendations to all levels of government, and calling for a wider strategy to draw together all of the bodies who can improve this situation.

“With the ongoing refugee crisis and humanitarian problems around the world, this isn’t a problem likely to go away overnight. As a committee, we will keep an eye on progress, regularly checking improvement in the response to destitution.”

Ms Wells said she and her Conservative colleague on the committee Jeremy Balfour did not back the full report. She said: “The responsibilities covered in this report are shared between the Scottish and UK Governments.

“A lot of these recommendations are sensible, for both governments: people fleeing conflict or persecution should be able to make a fresh start in the UK.

“But it’s deeply regrettable that Christina McKelvie has chosen to depict this important issue in such a politicised and unbalanced tone. It is for that reason I and my Scottish Conservative colleague dissented from the full report.”