A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

Cities condemn dumping of asylum-seekers in
‘slums’

Improvements must be made to the “shambolic” asylum dispersal
system, according to cities in northern England.

Some councils have stopped providing homes, saying they can take
no more families. They accuse the home office of paying
unscrupulous private landlords to house thousands in slums.

Glasgow councillors fear further outbreaks of violence after an
Iranian was stabbed on the same estate where a Kurdish asylum
seeker was murdered. Davoud Rasul Naseri said that he “hated
Glasgow”, and wanted to leave because he did not feel safe.

An emergency meeting in Glasgow was held yesterday to discuss
where to house the three busloads of asylum seekers that are being
sent to the city every week.

But Liverpool Council decided to stop offering homes following
months of negotiations, and Hull local leaders said they can take
no more asylum seekers, until they can care for the 1,800 already
there.

Source:- The Times Thursday 9 August page 1

Stabbed refugee seeks asylum from Glasgow

The latest victim of a racist attack on the Sighthill estate at
Glasgow has said he wants to leave the city for his own safety.

Iranian Davoud Rasul Naseri, was stabbed in the back outside his
front door by a gang who had shouted racist taunts.

Naseri who came to Britain 18 months ago said: “At first I was
very happy that I was in a safe country, and I can live in comfort
and safety.”

“But it didn’t last long. I don’t feel safe any
longer. I just feel that I hate Glasgow and I hate the people in
Glasgow. With this situation I just want to stay in my country; it
would be better to because I would be killed because of my aims,
not because of nothing,” he continued.

Ministers said last night that three Scottish councils were on
the verge of agreeing to house asylum seekers to ease the burden on
Glasgow.

Source:- The Times Thursday 9 August page 2

900 crime gangs thrive on drugs and
migrants

Up to 900 criminal gangs in Britain are involved in drug
trafficking, immigration rackets, fraud and money laundering,
according to the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

The agency said that turnover from organised crime exceeded
£8 billion, and could be as high as £50 billion.

Although gangs of Albanians, Lithuanians, Jamaicans, Chinese and
Turks were operating in the south-east, the majority are thought to
be British.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Thursday 9 August page 1

Privacy rule may hamper solving of Internet
crime

A proposed European Union decision on privacy could threaten the
police’s ability to combat internet paedophile rings and
other cyber criminals, police warned yesterday.

Amendments to legislation have been discussed in Brussels that
would mean internet companies deleted all traces of online activity
immediately after the web session ends.

Police fear this could create a patchwork of legislation across
15 EU countries, and hamper the international fight against
internet crime.

Operations such as the Wonderland Club, a huge child pornography
gang, would be rendered virtually impossible if all records of
internet usage were erased.

The home office said discussions were continuing between member
states, the internet industry and law enforcement agencies.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Thursday 9 August page 7

Scottish newspapers

Glasgow to appoint race mediator

Glasgow Council is to appoint a high profile mediator to improve
communication between asylum seekers, Sighthill residents and
council departments.

The announcement followed a second serious assault on an asylum
seeker in the city in three days. Davoud Naseri was stabbed in the
back on Tuesday night, and the police are treating the attack as
racially motivated. Following the murder of Firsat Yildiz at the
weekend, civil demonstrations have erupted into sporadic
violence.

Source:- The Herald Thursday 9 August page 1

70p care home rise an insult say owners

Residential and nursing home owners in Dundee have hit out at
the city council for awarding them an annual increase in fees of
70p per resident per week.

The increase is part of the annual review of fees, but comes at
a time of an escalating national dispute over payments to privately
owned care units. The Scottish executive has offered £10 per
person per week increase while the owners are seeking £50 per
person per week increase. Home owners in Dundee described the
increase as “derisory”, and said many of them are on the brink of
bankruptcy.

Source:- The Herald Thursday 9 August page 1

The man in the firing line

Charles Gordon, leader of Glasgow Council, talks about his most
difficult week in politics. How can the local authority heal the
trouble over asylum seekers, racial violence, and the growing
hostility in the city?

Source:- The Herald Thursday 9 August page 14