Dear Supporter,
I trust that you and your loved ones are well as we come out of lockdown.
I'm writing to thank you for helping to change living conditions of Glasgow refugees and asylum seekers provided with hotel accommodation at the Tartan Lodge by the Mears Group.
As reported previously, people were suffering illness and malnourishment due to the poor food. Some people also had bed bug bites. One man showed us scars on his arms from burning himself with lit cigarettes. Another man spoke no English, no one spoke his language, he had no phone. Several people were suffering mental health problems. People were drinking water from the taps in their toilets. They were forced to wash clothes by hand in the shower. Rooms and bedding had not been cleaned/changed for months. All of this had been going on for months. | | Finally, after some public embarrassment, the hotel began serving decent food. A weekly cleaning schedule was introduced. The laundry facilities were reopened and a rota has begun. The local MP visited to give reassurance. The most basic human rights were won after a fight.
But the humiliation of people seeking refuge continues. Last Friday, Mears staff called the police on Ahmed (not his real name) after he received a donation of clothes and shoes at the Ibis hotel. Despite explaining this, the Police were called. They came out and questioned Ahmed, asked to see the clothes and made calls to check his story before dropping the matter. Ahmed says he felt he was treated differently because he is an asylum seeker and because of the colour of his skin. We should believe him. All too often complaints about racism from People of Colour can be undermined by minimising or ignoring or not acknowledging that they exist. We have since made a complaint to his MP Alison Thewliss and await a response. More than ever, Black Lives Matter and this includes those seeking asylum and refuge too.
Many asylum seekers have told us that Mears staff have told them not to speak to "outside people or organisations" . People have spoken about being fearful of their asylum claims being affected if they don't abide by Mears staff instructions. Sara told me:
"When I first went to stay at the Park Inn, they said "we can call Home Office any time." I remember thinking, why are they saying this?"
She also said that after the Park Inn incident, she went to help a lady who was being sick. She says she was immediately reprimanded for helping and was told she wasn't to. And when people from Park Inn said they were getting donated clothes they were told they didn't need clothes from outside organisations.
Add to this the fact that people are forbidden to work and have no money. The isolation imposed by Lockdown was understood but this other form of oppression was intolerable.
Another asylum seeker from Park Inn commented that "when you put 90 people with their own mental health trauma and their own problems under one roof, it is not peaceful, it's like a pressure cooker".
At the time of writing, refugees and asylum seekers from the Tartan Lodge are being moved into flats. The Hallmark hotel is almost empty, however new asylum seekers with no outside support have been moved in . This week, we got an emergency call about a Syrian refugee who was moved into a hotel and needed clothes and a smartphone. The mobile phone he was given by Mears was not "smart". It was therefore rendered useless as he had no money to top it up. We provided a smartphone and our volunteers brought clothes and shoes.
Many who have already moved into flats told of being asked to sign documents they did not understand, without interpreters, and not receiving copies. Upon investigation, this turned out to be a waiver asking people to give up their right to a 7 day notice before being moved elsewhere, as per section 2.12 of their Occupancy Agreement. Several people reported that they were moved into flats they had not seen, nor did they know the area. They said that flats were dirty and uninhabitable with faulty appliances. Almost every person being moved has little or no access to money, food or Wi-Fi.
We continue to document the misery created by Mears. There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in this city. We have increased our support by setting up a proactive volunteer network. Refugee Help brings volunteers, caseworkers, interpreters and refugees together to help refugees and asylum seekers rebuild their lives. In the picture below you can see volunteers helping refugees from Tartan Lodge in an outdoor surgery to register with GPs.
Nine months into the new asylum contract, Mears and the Home Office have questions to answer about their failure to properly assess the mental health of people left vulnerable by the asylum system, especially those forcibly moved out of settled homes and stripped of cash at the height of the pandemic and in the middle of the lockdown.
That's why Positive Action in Housing and hundreds of organisations and individuals from across Scotland are seeking a full independent public inquiry. We continue to ask people and organisations that care to add your voice to the call by hundreds across civic society for this demand to be met.
If you want to help, please support our Call to Action below and give a regular donation, however modest, as this helps us to plan our humanitarian work..
Thank you for your support thus far.
Yours sincerely,
Robina Qureshi
Director
| | CALL TO ACTION
Latest update: https://www.paih.org/living-in-fear-of-mears/
CALL FOR A PUBLIC INQUIRY
Add your name in support of a public inquiry into Home Office and Mears Group duty of care failings towards Glasgow's refugees and asylum seekers.
https://paih.typeform.com/to/NktMtjRP
VOLUNTEER WITH REFUGEE HELP
https://paih.typeform.com/to/MEVCcNdv
DONATE YOUR SPARE SMARTPHONE
A lifesaver! Do you have a spare laptop, iPad or mobile phones? Just erase the contents and reset your device. Sanitise it, then pop it in a Jiffy bag and donate to us so we can pass it onto people who can benefit. This is vital to staying in touch. It has to be a smart phone though, in order to be able to pick up free Wi-fi. Post to: Refugee Appeal, Positive Action in Housing, 98 West George Street Glasgow G2 1PJ or email razgar@positiveactionh.org to arrange drop off.
DONATE NEW OR ROADWORTHY ADULT BIKE(S)
Asylum seekers are not allowed to work and those living in hotels get no money at all. (People don't want to depend on charities or the state. They want to work and build their lives). People being moved to flats are often far from the centre of Glasgow and this makes it difficult to reach essential services like lawyers or supportive charities. Travel is prohibitively expensive. We are therefore helping people get donated bikes and subscriptions to Next Bike where they are in the centre of town, near Next Bike stations. Can you donate a roadworthy bike? If so, please email home@positiveactionh.org and help us get People left vulnerable by the asylum system, through this crisis. Thanks to Aneela McKenna from GoWhereScotland for supporting this appeal!
LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
Www.fb.me/positiveactionh Keep up with our latest campaigns. There's also Instagram www.instagram.com/positiveactionh and Twitter @positiveactionh (the h is for housing where it all began)
SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST
https://mailchi.mp/positiveactionh.org/signup
GIVE A REGULAR DONATION
Help deliver humanitarian support to those in greatest need
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/7987#!/DonationDetails .
DONATE TO THE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND
This makes a big difference to the lives of people going through crisis throughout the year. Make a one off or regular donation via CAF (we prefer regular donations however modest as it helps us plan our work):
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/7987#!/DonationDetails%23%2FDonationDetails
DONATE VIA INTERNET BANKING:
Positive Action in Housing
Account 00447398 Sort code 822000
Tell us if you wish to gift aid your donation, just email financeassistant@positiveactionh.org
Companies wishing to donate can request an invoice by emailing accounts@positiveactionh.org | | Background to this appeal Positive Action in Housing's Lifeline Service provides a breathing space so that people can decide their options and create a forward plan with their lawyer and caseworker. This approach has produced life transforming outcomes, putting autonomy back into peoples' lives. We focus resources on those at risk of exploitation: unaccompanied children, families, pregnant woman, the elderly and sick, and lone individuals living in poverty and people with health problems/disabilities. As well as arranging shelter, our Winter Surgery provides bus tokens, food vouchers and hygiene packs, with books and art materials for children. We will also provide crisis grants to ensure people in these vulnerable and at-risk groups do not go hungry, cold, or forced to live on the street. In 2018/19, Positive Action in Housing assisted 1,501 destitute refugees & asylum seekers from Syria, Eritrea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Palestine and Yemen with advice, legal representation, shelter, and crisis funds at crucial stages in their settlement. We provided 48K nights of shelter (www.roomforrefugees.com) and distributed £60K from our Emergency Relief Fund – providing a genuine lifeline. We work to resolve a crisis and rebuild lives.
See our latest impact report Thank you for supporting this appeal. | | Help someone from a refugee background get back on their feet by offering a temporary self contained accommodation or a room (all guests are screened) Sign up here - for more info email info@roomforrefugees.com | | |
Positive Action in Housing
98 West George Street
Glasgow G2 1PJ
Working together to rebuild lives
Company limited by Guarantee
Scottish Registered Charity SC027577
www.positiveactionh.org
www.roomforrefugees.com
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