News update: Serco to resume "lock change" evictions in Glasgow
Starting from next week, the asylum landlord will hand deliver eviction letters to vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers ...
News: Serco to resume lock-change evictions in Glasgow making 300 vulnerable men and women destitute
Starting this week, Rupert Soames' SERCO will resume "lock change" evictions against 300 vulnerable refugee and asylum seeking men and women in Glasgow, despite ongoing live proceedings in the Court of Session to decide on this matter.
Serco has stated that "no children" will be made destitute, but fails to say whether families will be evicted. Two hundred people have no housing rights whatsoever and will be left absolutely destitute. At least one hundred have refugee status and housing rights. Glasgow City Council is responsible for their rehousing but has not said what it's emergency rehousing plan is.
Serco has refused to tell the Council who is being evicted. The people being targeted will get three visits to their homes. Serco "housing officers" will turn up to hand deliver letters 21 and 7 days beforehand, and on the day of the lock change evictions. As Scots case law shows, the hand delivering of eviction letters is intimidating and open to abuse. There is no independently verifiable record of posting, eg a Royal Mail date stamp. Therefore, recipients could end up on the streets at a whim with little or no notice. Judging from past record, we expect vulnerable people to feel intimidated into leaving under pressure of Serco staff turning up at their doors to empty out flats.
There will be no independent scrutiny. Police Scotland will not attend. Nor will Sheriff Officers. Refugees and asylum seeking families and individuals will be left at the behest of Serco officers. They don't know if police will even answer their calls and turn up to protect them if they are physically intimidated or threatened by Serco officers in their own homes.
Serco has conveniently labelled those it is evicting as "failed asylum seekers" getting "free housing" at "Serco's expense" who have "no legal right to be in the country". This is dehumanising rhetoric from a multinational making millions from UK and Scottish government contracts. It shows barely any understanding of the complex legal limbo people find themselves in through no fault of their own. Serco is a supposed landlord, and has no right to comment on a person's legal status.
The majority of people affected have refugee status, leave to remain or are still trying to secure a legal resolution through appeals. Very few are "failed". People want to resolve their status and rebuild their lives independently of the state or charities. It would save the taxpayer millions if the Home Office simply allowed asylum seekers, who are often well educated and skilled, the right to work and sustain themselves, instead of being stuck in tortuous administrative limbo for years.
This is Glasgow's racist, hostile environment, with war refugees, many from Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, and Afghanistan, enduring systematic cruelty at the hands of an asylum system that fast tracks them into "refused" asylum status, then leaves them destitute.
What we are doing and how you can help
In response to the crisis, Positive Action in Housing's Lifeline Service will be working harder than ever to provide proactive homelessness advice, support with Section 4 applications, emergency crisis grants or shelter to at least 50 households per week including those living in ongoing fear of destitution.
From Monday 17 June 2019, we will offer an appointments based drop in service from Mondays to Thursdays from 10 am to 12 noon & 2 pm to 3.00 pm. Anyone facing eviction, or their adviser, can call Positive Action in Housing on 0141 353 2220 and ask for an appointment with an adviser to discuss their options. A toolkit will also be provided for advisers.
We will be working very hard to support everyone who is affected by this crisis. Please check our website, Facebook and Twitter for updates.
If you live in Glasgow, and have a spare room available for a few weeks, sign up at www.roomforrefugees.com and we will screen safely and match you with someone who needs breathing space to decide their options
In aid of destitute refugee and asylum seeking men and women in Glasgow, many of whom are fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
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