HOME Secretary James Cleverly is facing demands from the Scottish Government to stop rounding up asylum seekers in Scotland to be deported to Rwanda.
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has written to the Home Secretary to demand that no more asylum seekers are detained for deportation.
It comes after The National revealed an asylum seeker in Glasgow had been detained and taken to England as the Home Office began rounding up migrants ahead of the launch of flights to Rwanda.
Abdullah Salimi, 21, was last reported to be held at the Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre on the outskirts of London.
His MP, Anne McLaughlin (above), has claimed she has been stonewalled by the Home Office as she sought information about his wellbeing. She has also said she suspects he was taken to England to deny him access to legal aid – something the UK Government has denied.
In a letter published on Friday, Somerville said: “I would welcome an urgent discussion to clarify what action the UK Government is planning to take to reassure communities; how they are safeguarding the rights of individuals and confirmation that no further action is planned to detain people resident in Scotland for potential removal to Rwanda.”
She also alleged that a previous letter she had sent to Cleverly about the details of immigration enforcement in Scotland had gone unanswered.
In her previous letter, sent in April, Somerville (above) said she had sought information on the “cohort” the Home Office was targeting in Scotland, the numbers of people resident in Scotland who have already been detained and how many people the department planned to detain.
The Social Justice Secretary also said she had sought assurances asylum seekers in Scotland would not be removed from their homes.
She wrote: “This situation is intolerable both for the individuals concerned and for the wider community.
“It is essential that the UK Government respects the rights of individuals, including their ability to access advice and support.
“It is vital that individuals can continue to access legal advice and action is taken to ensure that moving individuals from Scotland to detention centres in England does not disrupt their access to legal advice.
“I am also concerned about the impact of this action on communities across Scotland and on the organisations that are working to support those communities.”
The Scottish Government believes the Rwanda scheme serves to “abdicate the UK’s moral and international responsibilities to recognise and support refugees”, Somerville said while adding that she believed it would not deter migrants from crossing the Channel in small boats.
She told Cleverly (above): “I recognise that immigration enforcement and detention is a reserved issue but the Scottish Government is responsible for community safety and wellbeing in Scotland.
“The action that the Home Office has taken is not in line with the values of the people of Scotland.
“It is right that immigration is controlled and we recognise the need for enforcement. However, targeting vulnerable individuals seeking refuge is not about safeguarding our communities instead it is causing anxiety and distress.”
The Home Office was approached for comment.
