Asylum-seeking mums and their babies are living in 'cramped and unsafe conditions' in a Scots bedsit, according to the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland.
The women and children are living in bedsit accommodation in Glasgow’s southside, provided by the Home Office contractor Mears Group.
The Commissioner says this is with 'full approval' of Glasgow City Council and the Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (HSPC) - though the Council said this is 'not the case'.
A report by the Commissioner revealed how desperate mothers said there is no space to feed their babies.
They also say they have limited washing and cooking facilities, and little support.
The report also exposed how cookers and heaters in the rooms are close to babies’ cots, which is said to make it unsafe for them to play, crawl, or stand.
The Commissioner insists this puts at risk the childrens' right to 'survival, safety and development', as well as 'an adequate standard of living'.
The Commissioner's found that despite assurances from provider the Mears Group in November 2021, many women and their children have not been moved to more suitable housing.
In April 2021, charities and grassroots organisations raised human rights concerns about the unit, formerly used to house single men.
This was followed by a visit to the accommodation by Commissioner’s team in June, which saw them call for the mothers and babies to be rehoused.
But the Commissioner’s office says while Mears Group advised in November that the unit would be repurposed for single people only, they have failed to move all the babies and their mothers.
A mum who lives in the unit with her child said: “The worst part is knowing my child isn’t safe. I’m in a new country, a new mum, and I don’t have support. I worry about my child far more than I worry about myself.”
Nick Hobbs, Head of Advice and Investigations at the Children and Young People’s Commissioner, said: “I was shocked when the mothers in the unit showed me the conditions they are living in with their babies. This accommodation is totally unsuitable for mothers and babies, particularly those who have the added vulnerability of seeking asylum.
“Asylum accommodation is a reserved matter to Westminster, but use of this unit has been approved by Glasgow City Council and the health board.
"They could have withheld or withdrawn support and advocated for more suitable accommodation.
“We must make sure all refugee and asylum-seeking children are treated with dignity and respect for their human rights."
Mr Hobbs added: “We want the Mears Group to urgently relocate all the mothers and babies in this unit to suitable accommodation in Glasgow.
"They must also be given the support they need for that relocation and helped to integrate into their new communities. We also want the council, the health board, and HSPC to make a commitment to not approve asylum accommodation for children that violates their human rights.”
Yvonne Blake, co-founder of Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment (MORE), said: “All mothers and babies should live in conditions that are conducive to the nurturing of their babies and the mothers’ health and well-being.
“The unit is wholly unsuitable to have mothers and babies living there, especially during the first year of their lives which is crucial for development. They need to be housed where the mums have support and the children can play.
“The authorities, including Glasgow City Council, must act on the recommendations in this report and act on the numerous calls by the mothers and supporting groups to rehouse the mothers and babies into suitable accommodation in the community where they have support.”
Graham O’Neill, Policy Manager at Scottish Refugee Council, said: “Too often, people’s needs are forgotten or neglected within the asylum system.
"Unfortunately, we are seeing inappropriate and substandard housing being used more often, including long-term stays in what should be very temporary accommodation and an increase in institutional settings such as hotel rooms and army barracks. This is completely inappropriate for people who have fled violent conflicts and are living with the ongoing effects of trauma.”
A spokesperson for the Mears Group has said the remaining mother and children will be moved to alternative accommodation over the next month and the future of the facility is to be reviewed.
They said: "The Mother and Baby unit was purpose designed with the advice of the local authority and NHS at a time when we had a significant number of mothers and babies to support and did not have suitable accommodation.
"There are now less service users with babies or who are pregnant and this has enabled us to reduce the use of the facility. We will move the remaining service users to suitable alternative accommodation over the next month and will then review the future use of the facility.
"We acknowledge the concerns raised by the Children's Commissioner’s report, however these findings do not reflect our intentions around the use of the facility, or the feedback we have had from statutory bodies, which has generally been positive."
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “It is not the case that the council or Health and Social Care Partnership have given this unit ‘full-approval’.
"We do not have a role as the contractual arrangement exists between Mears and the Home Office. Whilst Covid has caused delays in moving mothers to date, we understand the remaining mothers in the unit will be moved in to alternative accommodation by the end of April.”
