A terrified family with a newborn baby fleeing from threats and torture in Nigeria have been "traumatised" by a days-long ordeal that saw them locked out of their flat, taken away in a police van and moved from Scotland to York.
Henry Okwo and his wife Blessing sought asylum in the UK in December 2022, with kids Ferdinand, four, Beauty, two, and Henry, four months. However Glasgow Live reports that Henry, a masters student at Strathclyde University, had his right to work removed without warning, forcing him to give up their privately let flat in Coatbridge.
The family told letting agency Aquila Management Services they planned to leave on January 16. But agents from the firm are alleged to have arrived at 3pm that day, removed their possessions from the flat and locked them out, despite the family having nowhere to go.
Henry contacted the charity Migrant Help for support – but was stunned to be told by a driver sent by the non-profit that he and his family were being shifted to York, 200 miles away. Meanwhile, Aquila agent Paul Clark reportedly phoned the police on the family after they refused to leave the common close of their building in sub-zero temperatures.
Texts sent by Clark to Henry read: "I need to ask you to leave otherwise I will call the police." Around 10 minutes later, he messaged again: "Ok. We are calling the police. You are trespassing in the building."
Mr Clark said he had not been "aware of the tenants' back-history of ill-treatment" in Nigeria and their precarious situation. He claims he phoned North Lanarkshire Council for advice as the family stood in the close and was told by the authority to phone the police.
He continued: "It was explained that the family were now in safe hands and out of the cold and that they would deal with matters from here in the morning. We assumed this was the end of the matter."
Police then took the family to Motherwell Police Station, where they sat for four hours before being picked up by Home Office contractor Mears. The family allege that they were made to sit in the police van because there was no room in the station – a claim Police Scotland denies.
A spokesperson for the force said: "On Monday, January 16, officers supported a family who had been evicted from their property in Coatbridge. To ensure they were comfortable before a partner agency was able to assist them, the family were taken to Motherwell Police Office where they had access to all necessary facilities.
"They were able to use the public area and toilet facilities and chose to go between these areas and their belongings in the van during the time they were waiting. To say anything else would be inaccurate."
At 3am – 12 hours after the family was allegedly locked out of their flat – the Okwos were taken from Motherwell to a hotel in Newcastle, where they slept in the lobby after staff said they had no booking. They were then taken to a hotel in York, where they remained until January 20, and are now in a hotel back in Glasgow after charity Positive Action In Housing stepped in.
It said: "The family are traumatised and bewildered by the way they have been treated despite behaving with the utmost decorum throughout their ordeal. There are many questions to be asked and we will pursue complaints. But this is the tip of the iceberg."
The family is mounting a legal challenge against the Home Office, with the assistance of immigration lawyers McGlashan MacKay. A spokesperson for the solicitor said: "This has been an extremely traumatising event for our client and his family and shows the real impact of Home Office decisions. It is important that individuals are accommodated with due regard being given to their particular circumstances."
A Mears spokesperson said: "Mears was asked to provide accommodation at short notice and we sent transport to take the family to the nearest hotel contingency accommodation we had available. We understand that the family would have preferred to stay in Glasgow, but this was not possible due to an acute shortage of accommodation."
The Home Office said they do not comment on individual cases. A spokesperson said: "Asylum seekers can work if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own and they can fulfil a job on the shortage occupation list."
A fundraising campaign has been launched in support of the family's legal case, which can be found here.
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