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Glasgow evictions campaign: protest at UKBA, Sat. 21 April

Martin O'Neill | 19.04.2012 15:21

RALLY & PROTEST
at Brand Street UKBA Reporting Centre
Saturday 21 April
11am
Stop the Evictions
End Destitution
Housing is a Human Right

At a meeting on Tuesday night, attended by numerous organisations, it was agreed unanimously to continue the campaign against the eviction and enforced homelessness of refused refugees by calling the above rally and protest at the UKBA offices in Brand St, Govan.

YPeople housing protest

Supported by:

FBU Scotland
Glasgow City Unison
Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees
National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns
Unity Centre
Defend Glasgow Services
Stop the War
Right to Work Campaign
Coalition of Resistance
Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts

The statement below was agreed at the rally at the Red Road on Thursday 12 April.

Up to 140 Glasgow asylum seekers are to be evicted by their landlord, Ypeople, in the next few weeks, and left without home, and without access to work or any benefits or state support whatsoever.

These people have had their claim for asylum refused even though most are unable to return to their countries because they are too dangerous. They include Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Zimbabwe and others.

Ypeople, a charity funded to provide accommodation to vulnerable people, claims they have to do this before handing over the housing of asylum seekers to Serco, a giant multinational making money for its shareholders out of running prisons and detention centres. The hand over period runs to November yet Ypeople have decided to evict everyone right now. Community groups say they will not be able to cope.

We call on Ypeople to act with humanity towards these extremely vulnerable people and on Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to step in and stop this disaster before it happens. What kind of city and what kind of Scotland are they governing that allows this kind of humanitarian outrage to occur?

Finally we call on the British government to honour its international obligations in the spirit as well as the letter by granting protection and the right to work for all people seeking sanctuary.

Come and support the demonstration on Saturday. Bring friends, family, workmates, trade union branches, churches and other organisations, banners, placards etc.

If you wish to add your organisations name to the list of supporters of this demonstration, please reply to this email.

Please circulate this message round your networks.

Martin O'Neill