Those people come here fleeing terror and believe they are safe. What they get is a life of fear and squalor
Lesley Roberts and Julie-Anne Barnes Asylum seekers are often forced to sleep on insectinfested mattresses when they arrive in Scotland, a leading charity has revealed.
Vulnerable and traumatised people who have f led persecution in their homeland claim they have been housed in dirty and unsafe accommodation.
They reported a string of complaints – including doors that didn’t lock, dirty communal areas as well as problems of sexual harassment, drug use and invasion of privacy by landlords.
The migrants are often afraid to complain to the Home Office in case it jeopardises their asylum application. Susan Munroe, chief executive of Freedom From Torture, said the charity quizzed clients across the UK and were horrified by what they found.
She said: “The worst e x ample s of bad housing came from Glasgow, as did the worst examples of poor behaviour towards residents and poor handling of complaints.
“Of our five centres in Britain, Glasgow is the only Scottish one. None of the others are great, but Glasgow appears to be the worst.
“Our clients have experienced unimaginable horrors in their own countries and many h av e h a d terrifying journeys to get to the UK. They arrive and think, ‘Thank goodness I’m in a place of safety’, then find themselves treated in the most appalling way.”
The Sunday Mail has been given pictures of some flats let out to asylum seekers. The images show flytipping, broken windows and doors and fire damage.
The pictures of the flats in Pollok, Glasgow, shocked Chris Stephens, SNP MP for Glasgow South West.
He said: “This is an outrage. I will be writing to the Home Secretary demanding that accommodation provided to asylum seekers meets the criteria of the Housing Scotland Act and that the homes are being provided by an accredited and registered social landlord.
“No one in Scotland, no matter where they come from, should be housed in such appalling conditions.”
Berkshire- based property f irm Orchard & Shipman have the £60million contract to provide accommodation, the first time a private sector deal was struck to house asylum seekers in Scotland. They were appointed by outsourcing giants Serco, who hold the contract for the UK.
But frontline workers and charity staff have accused Serco of bullying and harassment, and failing to respond to complaints.
Around half of asylum seekers in Scotland live in Glasgow’s east end – in a mix of private and housing association properties.
A Home Affairs Select Committee meeting last month heard how the British Red Cross were drafted in to mediate between asylum seekers and the government to “facilitate feedback directly from residents of asylum accommodation”.
Graham O’Neill, policy officer at the Scottish Refugee Council, said: “The situation with asylum accommodation in Glasgow can’t go on as it is. We’ve heard too many horror stories of people put up in substandard flats.
“From our experience, they aren’t keen to report problems but cases of overcrowding, ceilings collapsing, unclean and unsafe properties can’t be allowed to continue.”
Angela Constance – Communities, Social Security and Equalities Minister at Holyrood – has twice written to the Westminster Government about the housing problems.
The Scottish Government said: “These allegations are the latest in a long list of claims about quality in accommodation provided to asylum seekers and MSPs have repeatedly called on the Home Office to investigate complaints.”
Meanwhile, talks to transfer services by Orchard & Shipman back to Serco are ongoing.
Serco said: “The two organisations agree the transfer would be the best way to continue to deliver housing services for asylum seekers in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the future.
“Under the proposed transfer, Serco would take operational control of the provision of housing for approximately 4700 asylum seekers in Scotland and Northern Ireland.”
Serco deny fai l ing to address complaints raised. The f i rm’s Jenni Halliday said: “O& S provide accommodation that meets all Home Off ice requirements and relevant legislation. O&S housing officers, Serco and the Home Office all inspect it.”