It doesn’t sit well to see a rich toff turn 300 war refugees and their kids out on to the streets
Multi-millionaire blasted over asylum seekers plan
BY STEPHEN STEWART s.stewart@dailyrecord.co.uk A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE aristocrat has enraged Scotland with his bid to turn 300 war refugees and their children out on to the streets, according to campaigners.
Serco chief executive Rupert Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, has been slammed by a leading homelessness charity for his firm’s move.
Hundreds turned out at a rally on Tuesday against the evictions. Glasgow City Council said they will establish a task force to help those threatened with the loss of their homes.
Robina Qureshi of Positive Action in Housing said: “Scotland is proving to be a hostile environment for Rupert Soames. In this global refugee crisis, it doesn’t sit too well with the conscience to see a multi-millionaire aristocrat turn 300 war refugees and their children on to the streets of Glasgow with no recourse to other support.”
The news came as asylum seekers Mirwais Ahmadzai and Rahman Shah held a hunger strike protest outside Home Office premises in Glasgow.
Mirwais, 27, arrived in West Dunbartonshire at the age of 15 and views Scotland as his home. He has recently been refused asylum for the second time in 12 years.
Sandra White MSP said: “If we let this happen, we will be just as culpable as Serco and the Home Office.”
Shelter Scotland director Graeme Brown said: “This is a deplorable situation. We call on the Home Office and Serco to immediately cease this course of action and remember these are people’s homes and lives that are being treated with contempt.”
In a letter to local politicians, Soames downplayed the number of people being evicted, saying it was six “single adult males” this week and 12 next week.
He added: “For humanitarian and welfare reasons, Serco are paying for accommodation, including rent, rates, heating and lighting and insurance for some 330 people who are no longer receiving support from the Home Office.”