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Persecution of Asylum Seekers in Glasgow

Kim Carson | 10.06.2002 17:55

Asylum seekers are being left homeless and destitute for the crime of not being at home when an inspector calls.

(NASS: the National Asylum Support Service. NASS is in charge of "supporting" asylum seekers by dispersing them away from their support links, usually in the South East, to live in shitty accommodation in difficult to let council properties, or by leasing from slum landlords, and pay them a pittance, not letting them work and pay their way in society, thereby enforcing the myth that they are mostly illegal scroungers)

New NASS "Outreach" teams are carrying out visits to asylum seekers in Glasgow and around the UK, to find out whether they have any "luxury items" in their homes. Apparently they are gaining entry under false pretences, then noting items such as TVs, videos etc, which are hard to obtain when you have to survive on poverty handouts.

When the team visits, and no-one is home, a handwritten scrap of paper is pushed through the letterbox stating, in English, that the person must wait at home all day 7 days from the visit. If not at home on that occasion the NASS workers call again within 72 hours, and if no-one is home it is assumed that no-one is living there, and all support is stopped.

If on the visit an inspector notes "luxury" items, a letter, in English, is sent stating that NASS have reason to believe that the people are working, and to provide details within 5 days, or lose their NASS support. The fact that these items could have been gifts from charities or individuals, or found and repaired doesn't enter into NASS's nasty mind. And there is no opportunity to explain that you are not working, no appeal.

I'm told that these workers are recruited from Office Angels temp agency, with no training, but this may be hearsay. At any rate, they are not likely to be sympathetic, and I doubt very much that they have any bi-lingual workers.

Whether through not being at home for owning a VCR, people are being made homeless and destitute. There is no agency to support them in this situation. No home. No food. No rights.

NASS's actions may well be illegal, but I'm sure NASS just assume that they can get away with it until challenged, and then get some kind of law change if pressed. Asylum seekers are usually, understandably, very reluctant to stand up and challenge this kind of action on human rights grounds. And anyway, NASS believes that soon they will all be locked up in Induction, Reception or Detention Centres.

This sort of thing was supposed to have been buried years ago, the despised means test, replaced by more subtle methods of poverty policing, but of course we are talking about foreign scroungers, bogus asylum seekers, illegals, who are the new undeserving poor of society, today's scapegoats who have replaced the workshy and the single mums sponging off society. With them, the government and it's agencies feel able to put the boot in.

These people are our neighbours. They are already being attacked with the weapon of poverty for having the nerve to assume that they are welcome in this country. And for the cheek to assume that we might believe their story about fleeing persecution. Now they are being attacked for having the audacity to desire a few home comforts such as a bit of money for food and a bit of telly to kill the boredom of life in poverty, blot out the terror of being returned, and to maybe learn a bit about our wonderful culture. All this while they sit, isolated, in their crappy flats, too scared to go outside for fear of attack from our other neighbours who mimic the racism of their own oppressors.

We cannot stand by and ignore these attacks. We need to show solidarity. We need to let them and our rulers know that this cannot be done in our name. We need to educate people about what is happening, and why. Why people are seeking asylum in this country, how the number of asylum seekers in the UK is tiny by comparison with other poorer countries. We need to remind people that we are talking about our fellow human beings here. And we need to point out the connections between war and refugees and the oppression of international capitalism, and the poverty not only in the countries from which people are fleeing, but also the poverty in our own housing schemes. It is all connected, and our struggle is one struggle, fought on many fronts. Or at least it should be.

NOBODY IS ILLEGAL!

See last week's Big Issue in Scotland.
Also due for discussion on Newsnight Tues 11 June, but that may be just Scotland

Kim Carson
- e-mail: revolting_reality@yahoo.co.uk


Comments

Hide the following 11 comments

calm down a minute

10.06.2002 18:15

If they do own videos etc, it suggests they are some sort of fiddle. Let NASS do their job, who said we the British People want all these outsiders pouring into our country anyway?

kev grant


?

10.06.2002 19:46

SO what? British people have to live in shitty houses, so why the hell should asylum seekers who contribute nothing get better houses??

Dave


?

10.06.2002 19:46

SO what? British people have to live in shitty houses, so why the hell should asylum seekers who contribute nothing get better houses??

Dave


absolutely awful

11.06.2002 10:27

wht is happening to aylum seekers is terrible and should be fought and opposed , but please don not think that such imtimidation/investigations are only happening to asylum seekers, New Labours, War on the poor includes single mothers., the disabled etc who are subject to harrasment and benefit cuts and the hated means test...(see posts on attacks on the disabled now.


btw, national demo

NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION

Saturday 22 June, assemble 12 noon, Malet Street, London WC1 (Goodge Street tube or Russell Square tube) to march to Waterloo Detention Centre.

Called by Barbed Wire Britain, Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers, National Civil Rights Movement, National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns.

David Blunkett wants to resurrect the old Tory policy of a "white list" of countries. Anyone coming from a country on this list will be immediately deported because the government rules it is "safe". There will be no right of appeal in Britain.

Yet the Refugee Council reports that 1,400 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, who were branded as "bogus", were found to have a good case on appeal and were allowed to stay in Britain.

Most asylum seekers are driven out of their countries by war, says the UN. Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia are still in the top five countries of origin for refugees applying for asylum in Britain. A UN body has condemned New Labour for hyping up the "crisis" over asylum. The number of refugees entering Europe has fallen by almost HALF over the past decade.

Stop New Labour and the Tories scapegoating refugees - demonstrate on 22 June.

(For details of the planned activities phone the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers on 07941 566 183 or the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns on 0121 554 6947).

geri-atric


you're so (extreme) right!

11.06.2002 10:31

Bastard refugees! Either they work, so they're breaking the law and should be deported; or they claim benefit, so they're scroungers and should be deported.

I mean, why can't they just show some consideration and quietly starve to death?

As for housing, I for one certainly feel happier in my crappy house as long as I know someone else is in a crappier one. I don't mind being a humble loyal serf, provided other folk are stamped on harder than me...

a nonny mouse
- Homepage: http://www.defend-asylum.org


haud yer horses there....

11.06.2002 19:46

Dear Kim,i can't believe the inane scribbling most of your replies consist of. Your article is well thought out and structured with just the right amount of controlled aggression to perhaps make a difference.
I shall be watching Newsnight with interest tonight and hopefully meet up with protesters at any demos which will undoubtedly be set up.
And buy you a pint of plain.
Cheers.
Flick.

P. Zestring....


Where can I find out the truth?

11.06.2002 20:25

I am horrified at the extent of anti-asylum seeker opinion, fuelled by not only the media, but all-round ignorance. Why are people so anti-humanitarian? People who I've always thought were sound come out with comments like "enough is enough - we're sinking - we can't take any more asylum-seekers".

What I and many others who care about the plight of asylum seekers need is some facts? It's often said that we take in far less asylum-seekers than most other countries - just how many are coming in and is it true, as I read recently, the numbers have halved in the past 10 years? Why do asylum seekers have no voice, is there a reporting restriction on identifying them and/or speaking to them? What is the government's strategy in building hostels in property-rich, economy non-existent villages like Throckmorton in Worcestershire - a well-off community which will not assimilate the asylum-seekers in their midst? Isn't refusing asylum-seeker children a place in schools akin to Nazism, Zionism and Talibanism? What proof do asylum-seekers have to produce to convince the authorities they are at risk of being killed if they returned? Why isn't coming from a ripped-apart village and losing everything enough to be given asylum? Why do we begrudge these people, many who have travelled long distances in cramped, uncomfortable transport, the right to live with basic essentials if nothing else? Why is it cool to be so cruel to disadvantaged people from overseas?

Can anyone answer any of my questions and point me in the right direction for statistics or any facts which prove we are not being "swamped"? We all need tools in our fight against a raging tide of bigotry, real reports. We've got to get out of the ghetto and tell the nation it is being swallowed up by fascist hyperbole and scapegoatism.

dissenter


One good place for facts

12.06.2002 08:31

This is worth a look, some good facts to coutner the myths.

 http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/infocentre/faqs/faqs001.htm#5

sook


also

12.06.2002 12:12

try the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers:

-
- Homepage: http://www.defend-asylum.org


Scottish Refugee Council Report

13.06.2002 09:32

Scottish Refugee Council
Report on NASS Outreach teams May 2002

Agencies in Glasgow have raised their concerns about the impact that the activities of the NASS outreach team are having on asylum seekers in Glasgow. The purpose of this paper is to highlight SRC concern about the work of the NASS outreach team and the steps that we are taking to clarify -

v The remit of the NASS outreach team
v NASS outreach team processes and contact visits.
v The appeals process in response to suspension of NASS support

The NASS Outreach team has been operational in Glasgow since March 2002. The team currently operate from IND offices in Govan, and are managed operationally by Elizabeth Welsh. The NASS regional manager does not have responsibility for managing the outreach team.

Outreach remit

There is little information available on the remit of the NASS outreach teams. Attached is a copy of the general remit and “3 work streams” of the teams as outlined by Paul Winterbottom, senior manager of the NASS outreach teams.

There is as yet no written policy on the activities of the outreach team. SRC have been informed that a “contact management operational guidance document” will be prepared in time for the proposed regionalisation of NASS.

The SRC have raised this issue with NASS on numerous occasions both as a national agency and also as part of a UK multi-refugee agency partnership. The issue of the teams remit has also been raised at the Executive level of the Scottish Asylum Seekers Consortium, which has formally written to NASS to invite them to Glasgow to clarify the situation.

The senior manager of the NASS outreach teams will attend the Scottish Refugee Integration Forum in June. SRC have also invited the Manager of the outreach team to attend the next West of Scotland Refugee Forum.



Operational Process

NASS have informed SRC that the process for outreach visits takes place in three stages

1st visit – if a property is unoccupied at time of visit a letter in English is left informing the occupant that the NASS outreach team will return in 8 days.

2nd visit – if the occupant is still absent at the point of second visit then the team will leave a letter informing them of their intention to return in 72 hours

3rd visit – the team return in 72 hours accompanied by the Housing Provider with the intention of gaining access to the property. If the occupant is absent NASS support will be terminate.

Termination of NASS support

NASS support may be terminated on the basis that the asylum seeker is deemed to be absent from their dispersal address for more than 7 days.

Alternately the “Performance, Monitoring and Investigations team” in Croydon may issue a letter terminating NASS support on the basis that an assessment has been made that an asylum seeker is no longer destitute. During NASS outreach team visits asylum seekers may be asked if they are working, they will be asked to sign a declaration. This is done via telephone translation.

Under the Asylum Support Regulation 2000 No 704 Notice of Appeal to the Asylum Support Adjudicator must be received by the ASA within 2 days of the supported person receiving the notice of discontinuation.

SRC concerns

SRC are now dealing with clients experiencing problems as a result of the activities of the NASS outreach team on a weekly basis. We refer clients to their solicitors who may wish to challenge the legality of some of the processes being undertaken. SRC are liasing with legal services regarding our concerns.

· SRC are concerned at the way in which asylum seekers are been notified of NASS actions i.e. un-translated technical letters, unofficial hand written scraps of paper.

· SRC are concerned at the absurdly impracticable time limit for appeal.

· SRC seek clarity on what objective criteria are being used to make assessment of assets, and the assumption that such assets are always gained through employment. There is no apparent attempt to establish whether these items are acquired through donations.

· SRC would query under what powers NASS gain entry into peoples homes.



Kim Carson


some more info resources

14.06.2002 11:52

www.asylumaid.org.uk/

www.ncadc.org.uk/

www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk

www.paih.org/

www.asylumsupport.info

www.glasgowwelcomesrefugees.org.uk

www.noborder.org

KC


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