Council to change dispersal policy after asylum seeker is murdered

Glasgow Council has announced a change of policy in its
dispersal of asylum seekers following the murder of a young asylum
seeker and mass demonstrations in the city’s streets this week.

The change of policy would see asylum seekers being moved away
from Sighthill estate, where more than half of the city’s 8,500
refugees are housed, to other areas of Glasgow and other local
authorities.

Its plans are supported by the Scottish executive and Robina
Qureshi, director of positive action on housing at the Commission
for Racial Equality, who criticised the council for concentrating
solely on housing and failing to invest in social services and
police support for asylum seekers. “The council are to receive
£100 million over five years, yet no resources have been
invested in protecting asylum seekers or community development,”
she said.

Scottish Refugee Council manager Julia Allan added: “Successful
integration and settlement of asylum seekers will not take place
until the government and local authorities review the asylum system
and properly finance dispersal.”

Police have launched an inquiry into the fatal stabbing of
22-year-old Firsat Yildiz, a Turkish Kurd.

Home Office minister Lord Rooker said the government’s asylum
dispersal system would not be stopped and was very successful. He
insisted that, although National Asylum Support Service (NASS)
“would not deliberately aggravate any local situations”, it would
not pull out of areas “simply because people say it is an area
where there could be racists”.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that the NASS was in
negotiations with other areas in Scotland.