Labour MSP Mary Fee commends the strength and courage of those who are destitute and gave evidence to the committee.

Ms Fee says the UK government's immigration policy has a profound impact on Scotland.

The Labour MSP says the system fails to treat fellow human-beings with dignity and respect.

She says destitution is linked to marginalisation and that destitution is built into the asylum system.

Image source, PA

In March MPs voted in favour of keeping open a scheme to bring unaccompanied child refugees to the UK.

Twenty Conservative MPs backed a continuation of the Dubs scheme, which is being closed by ministers.

The vote is non-binding on the government, but backers of the scheme called it a "litmus test" of parliamentary opinion.

The government has been criticised for ending the programme, which it says could encourage people traffickers.

• Reality Check: Did government go back on its word?
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• Key route to the UK for child refugees to close

Ms Wells says the evidence heard in committee also made suggestions about how things can be improved.

The Tory MSP says a Scottish destitution strategy is required and it can focus on stopping destitution in the first place.

She says Scottish and UK ministers will have to work together on this.

Ms Wells says she would urge the Scottish government, COSLA, local authorities and third sector organisations to consider funding an individual advocacy service.

She says she will support the motion at decision time.

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Tory MSP Annie Wells says there needs to be a more flexible and accessible system for asylum seekers.

Ms Wells says when people cannot access support they are left vulnerable.

She says human trafficking and abusive relationships are the main causes of destitution.

The Tory MSPs highlights BBC Scotland's documentary on human trafficking.

Ms Constance says the Scottish government cannot tackle the root cause while asylum remains reserved to the UK government.

The equalities secretary says she is particularly concerned about asylum seeking children and she will continue to fight for the re-introduction of the Dubs amendment.

She says people should be treated as part of our community no matter their immigration status.

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Ms Constance says she has met families who are suffering the devastating impacts of destitution as a result of the system.

She says destitution impacts not only on the individual but on communities and she says asylum seekers and refugees must be welcomed.

The Scottish government and its partners are literally paying the price of the UK government's policies on asylum and immigration, says the minister.

She praises the Syrian refugee programme saying Scotland has welcomed 1700 Syian refugees into 31 local authorities.

In April 2014, government-funded advice for asylum seekers living in Scotland began being delivered by Migrant Help, a charity based in the south east of England.

Previously, this contract was held by the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC), based in Glasgow.

The Home Office disputed any suggestions that Migrant Help did not offer the same level of face-to-face support as SRC, adding that Migrant Help had a "well-established presence" in Scotland.

The figures prompted the Scottish government to accuse the UK government of delivering a "consistent reduction" in the support it offered to asylum seekers.

Read more here.

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The British Red Cross claimed changes made in 2014 to the support and advice offered by the Home Office had also increased destitution among migrants.

A BRC spokeswoman said: "There's been a change to a telephone model of providing [asylum support] advice, which has made it more difficult for those with language barriers to access support."

She added that she believed the Home Office was requiring "more and more" information from asylum applicants, while also withdrawing advocacy from the service specification.

Asked how destitution had been defined, the BRC said it considered clients to be destitute if they did not eat sufficiently, had no fixed home, could not afford essential items and/or were experiencing worsening health.

Equalities Secretary Angela Constance says the government welcomes the committee's inquiry and the report is aptly named.

Ms Constance says the asylum and immigration systems are reserved to the UK government.

The equalities secretary says the Scottish government will be open to measures it can take with the devolved powers it has.

She says destitution is built into the asylum system.

Conclusion and recommendations

Destitution is further built into the system by there being only certain geographical locations in the England where parts of the process can be accessed.

"We know people arriving in Northern Ireland do not have to travel to Croydon to make an initial claim.

"It is unacceptable that destitute, vulnerable people are forced to continue in the UK what will have already been a difficult journey.

"We are in no doubt destitution should not happen as a result of failings in the system, as we heard about with refugees moving from asylum accommodation."

Image source, Scottish Parliament

"From the evidence we heard, people with insecure immigration status find themselves destitute for a combination of reasons but mainly linked to human trafficking or abusive relationships.

"We recognise that policy and the power to legislate on asylum and immigration are reserved matters to the UK government and parliament.

"The majority of the committee therefore asks the Scottish government to intensify its negotiations with the Home Office to ensure people who arrive in Scotland and wish to claim asylum should be allowed to register their claim in Scotland and not have to travel to Croydon.

"Similarly, those who wish to make a fresh claim for asylum should not be required to travel to Liverpool, but instead should be able do that at locations in Scotland."

"The Scottish government should seek to establish the rationale behind the decision not to allow initial claims and fresh claims to be lodged routinely in Scotland.

"In addition, we ask any essential travel, whether local or further afield, including overnight accommodation where necessary, should be fully funded by the UK government.

"This would reduce the risk of exploitation and ensures the process is open, accessible and sustainable.

"We ask the Scottish government to report back to us on the outcome of its discussions with the Home Office one year from the publication of this report."

The committee have asked the Scottish government (and public authorities) for a number of actions:

• the creation of a 'Scottish anti-destitution strategy' to inform a national approach to mitigating destitution
• the creation of a new Scottish government advocacy service for destitute people with insecure immigration status
• the creation of a national coordinated practitioners’ network

• the Scottish government should examine the feasibility of extending the Free Bus Travel Scheme to allow destitute people with insecure immigration status to attend appointments

Image source, bbc

• where clinicians consider an individual with insecure immigration status has an infectious disease that requires accommodation, this should be funded by the Scottish government as a preventative measure
• the creation of a new ‘Destitution Fund’ by the Scottish government for women experiencing domestic abuse unable to access other sources of help
• update the COSLA/Local Authority guidance so that local authorities dealing with people with insecure immigration status are clear on help available. The guidance should be unambiguous about carrying out human rights assessments.
• asylum seekers should have the right to do paid and unpaid community work in Scotland – allowing for better integration opportunities, supporting asylum seekers’ mental and physical health, and the opportunity for asylum seekers to receive an income

Image source, bbc

Equalities and Human Rights Committee convener says being destitute made it more difficult to make any claim, prolonging the destitution.

She says the committee has asked the Scottish governmt and Cosla for a fully funded independent advocacy service.

Ms McKelive says: "We should be ashamed that abused women should have to use pillow cases for nappies for their children."

She calls for a preventative approach to destitution which will benefit Scotland.

These people have come from trauma and this will help them she says.

"We heard people with insecure immigration status find themselves destitute for a combination of reasons but mainly linked to human trafficking or abusive relationships.

"We believe more work must be undertaken to identify the scale and nature of destitution in Scotland, particularly because in carrying out this inquiry, we found visible homelessness is the tip of the iceberg and destitution is largely hidden in plain sight, with many organisations picking up the pieces. "

Ms McKelvie says the risk of destitution was presesnt during much of the asylum or immigration system.

The Equalities and Human Rights Committee convener says that destitute people find it more difficult to access their rights.

She says some of them found making claims a "gruelling fight".

The committee found that "evidence received showed the asylum and immigration system is peppered with points at which the risk of destitution becomes likely".

The report says "the sheer complexity and inaccessibility of the process makes it unnecessarily difficult in practical terms for someone new to the UK, who is destitute, to initiate the process.

"Once destitute, it is much harder for people to re-engage with the asylum process.

"Destitution is further built into the system by there being only certain geographical locations in the England where parts of the process can be accessed.

Ms McKelvie says this subject matter is reserved and devolved.

She says one MSP on the committee dissented from letting asylum seekers register in Scotland and a further setion led to two MSPs dissenting.

The SNP MSP thanks those who shared their real life stories with the committee.

Equalities and Human Rights Committee convener Christina McKelvie says much of the evidence taken on this committee was "harrowing".

Ms McKelvie says this report asks a lot of the Scottish government and calls on the Scottish and UK government to work together.

She says the report is wide-ranging because destitution has not been looked at before by a committee of this parliament.

The motion also highlights the fact that destitution can also impact on families, communities and on the provision of support from non-governmental organisations and public authorities.

It goes on to call on MSPs to note the findings and recommendations of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee’s 3rd Report 2017 (Session 5), Hidden Lives New Beginnings: Destitution, asylum and insecure immigration status in Scotland (SP Paper 147), external.