£100,000 grant to help Glasgow asylum seekers facing eviction

The planned action by Serco has prompted days of protests in Glasgow

More than £100,000 in emergency funding has been announced to help asylum seekers in Glasgow who are being threatened with eviction.

The Scottish government said the grant would provide support until all the legal options are exhausted.

Over the next six months it said the charities would be able to double their capacity to provide stable and safe accommodation for those affected.

Last week Serco threatened to evict some of the unsuccessful applicants.

• What is the Glasgow asylum row all about?

It later announced a temporary reprieve for those at risk.

The move by the Home Office contractor was widely criticised by politicians and triggered demonstrations, including a hunger strike.

The plans, which would see the locks being changed on doors, have been the subject of separate legal actions by Shelter Scotland and the Govan Law Centre.

After a meeting with the Scottish government in Edinburgh on Wednesday UK Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes refused to say whether she supported the eviction plans.

The new grant will benefit the work of the Scottish Refugee Council, the Refugee Survival Trust and the British Red Cross under the umbrella of the Destitute Asylum Seeker Service (DASS).

It assists refused asylum seekers who have exhausted their appeal rights to find a route out of destitution and resolve their situation.

'Humanitarian approach'

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: "While we welcome the pause in the issue of lock change notices, this is only a temporary measure, and the fact remains that destitution and homelessness are built into the current asylum system - placing hundreds of people at risk.

"The plight of people threatened with eviction demands a resolute and humanitarian approach and we cannot see people turned on to the streets because of the failure of the Home Office's asylum policy.

"We all have a moral duty to do what we can to help those most in need and this additional funding, while a short term solution, will provide urgent assistance needed."

Ms Campbell said the Scottish government wanted to work with the Home Office to improve support for asylum seekers at all stages of the process and find a sustainable, long term solution to the current situation.

Sabir Zazai, chief executive of Scottish Refugee Council, said: "The last few weeks have shown just how desperately we need a safety net for people at risk of homelessness and destitution.

"Our asylum advisers provide intensive support and advocacy for people at a critical moment in their lives, when their claim for refugee protection is refused and they face destitution on the streets of Glasgow.

"People often find themselves in this situation through no fault of their own."

After Serco announced the lock change plans last month, Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken wrote to Home Secretary Sajid Javid warning it risks a "humanitarian crisis", leaving those affected out on the streets.

The contractor denies the claim and said it currently pays accommodation for 330 asylum seekers who no longer receive Home Office support.

About a third have been granted leave to remain while the remainder have been refused refugee status.

The eviction plans affect this latter group which the firm says have no right to remain in the UK.

Serco provides accommodation for about 5,000 people in Scotland, almost all of them in Glasgow.

The Scottish Refugee Council already receives £534,000 per year from the Scottish government's equality budget, while British Red Cross is annually awarded £25,000.