The vicious assault on Iranian refugee Masood Gomroki in the Sighthill area of Glasgow last Friday night is the horrible and direct consequence of both Government policy on asylum and the anti-refugee bias of certain national newspapers.
Sighthill stabbing follows Blunkett’s latest attack on asylum seekers
Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees
MEDIA RELEASE 02/12/02
It comes as no surprise to the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees (GCWR) that the beating and stabbing of Mr Gomroki should come within hours of the Government's announcement that it is to abolish exceptional leave to remain to asylum seekers from many of the world's most dangerous countries.
On Friday lunchtime the Home Office said that asylum seekers were "abusing" the system. By early evening, racist thugs who agree with the Government that there are "too many" refugees had attacked Mr Gomroki.
The tragedy of this appalling assault is that it also threatens to undo a great deal of good work which has been done in Sighthill since Kurdish refugee Firsat Yildiz Dag was murdered on the outskirts of the estate 16 months ago.
The Sighthill United march in August 2001 brought together members of the refugee community and local residents within the estate. The regeneration plans put forward by the Sighthill United committee stood in stark contrast to the relative inaction of local and national government.
As early as May of last year the GCWR was joined by representatives of Glasgow's refugees, spokespeople for Sighthill tenants and Bill Speirs, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, in calling for major investment in the social and housing infrastructure of Sighthill. We were ignored.
We call again for a special regeneration package for Sighthill to address the immediate security needs of everyone within the community, and the housing, employment and social needs which have been neglected for far too long.
Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees
MEDIA RELEASE 02/12/02
It comes as no surprise to the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees (GCWR) that the beating and stabbing of Mr Gomroki should come within hours of the Government's announcement that it is to abolish exceptional leave to remain to asylum seekers from many of the world's most dangerous countries.
On Friday lunchtime the Home Office said that asylum seekers were "abusing" the system. By early evening, racist thugs who agree with the Government that there are "too many" refugees had attacked Mr Gomroki.
The tragedy of this appalling assault is that it also threatens to undo a great deal of good work which has been done in Sighthill since Kurdish refugee Firsat Yildiz Dag was murdered on the outskirts of the estate 16 months ago.
The Sighthill United march in August 2001 brought together members of the refugee community and local residents within the estate. The regeneration plans put forward by the Sighthill United committee stood in stark contrast to the relative inaction of local and national government.
As early as May of last year the GCWR was joined by representatives of Glasgow's refugees, spokespeople for Sighthill tenants and Bill Speirs, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, in calling for major investment in the social and housing infrastructure of Sighthill. We were ignored.
We call again for a special regeneration package for Sighthill to address the immediate security needs of everyone within the community, and the housing, employment and social needs which have been neglected for far too long.
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