Number of refugees in need of funding soars

among the applicants this year. UK requirements which mean a refugee who needs to make a new asylum claim must travel to Liverpool to do so has forced many poverty-stricken refugees to turn to the charity for help, the RST said.

Meanwhile, the figures showed that this year has seen a significant increase in the number of Iranians looking for urgent help, with more than one in five of all applicants coming from Iran. However, the period saw a decrease in the number of Syrians applying, behind Iran, Iraq, Eritrea, Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria and Libya.

The report said: “Our destitution grants are always given as a ‘last resort’ and it remains a significant concern to the RST that so many refugee and asylum seeker children are destitute and that their families are not receiving other forms of support.”

Zoe Halliday, co-ordinator of the RST said: “We find it deeply concerning that numbers of asylum seekers and refugees seeking our help continues to rise. Our destitution grants are a form of last resort aid, when no other support is available. It is clear that Scotland is letting down many people who seek refuge here.”

Almost half of destitution grant applicants were homeless at the time of application, compared to just 28 per cent in the same period in 2016-17.

The report added that preliminary figures for the second half of the year saw a huge surge in the number of applications, with 172 awarded to a total value of £14,281.

The RST is dependent on donations from individuals and trusts.