Asylum seizures slammed

10/02/2009

Campaigners condemn surprise detention of Scottish asylum families

Human rights campaigners have condemned the surprise detention of asylum seekers at Home Office buildings, following the seizure of a Glasgow-based family.

A mother and her children, who do not wish to be identified, were taken during a regular weekly visit to the Border Agency office on Brand Street, Glasgow.

They were moved to Dungavel, then on to another detention centre at Yarlswood in Bedfordshire.

Stephen Dietrich, of Glasgow’s Unity Centre, said asylum seekers were being taken unaware. “They’re sometimes served with papers about their claim being refused as they are taken away, so it’s a complete surprise to them,” he said. “It isn’t fair to keep people so in the dark – they aren’t given the chance to get clothes for their children or hand
over keys.”

Dietrich told The Big Issue there is increased fear among Glasgow’s asylum-seeking population about the regular visits required of them by the authorities.
“Some people are saying they can’t sleep the nights before they’re supposed to report,” he said. “We also though there was an understanding no children would be taken to Dungavel, but that’s still happening.”

A spokeswoman for the Home Office’s Border Agency said those looking for asylum were warned they could be detained once their claim fails. She said: “The decision to detain a family before removal only happens as a last resort, because the parents refuse to take the opportunity to go home under their own steam.”