Glasgow, Scotland, Aug 1, 2019 / 10:48 am
The Archbishop of Glasgow has written a letter to the UK Home Secretary calling the forced evictions of refugees and asylum seekers in his city "regrettable and harsh." Those being evicted have failed in their asylum claims.
Serco, a provider of public services, began changing locks last week on housing it provides free of charge to asylum seekers in the city. The residents had been given eviction notices a year ago.
Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow wrote to Priti Patel, the UK's Home Secretary, saying that "this measure is regrettable and harsh, bringing indignity and suffering on the refugees and asylum seekers, and dismay to the citizens of Glasgow."
"I appeal to you not to make refugees and asylum seekers homeless, but to provide for them decent accommodation in accordance with their human dignity and human rights," he wrote in the letter, published July 31.