Background and Approach

Background

Asylum support and accommodation is essentially a public service, contracted to private providers by the UK Home Office through the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract. This sits within a broader framework of legislation and policy which determines access to public goods and services for asylum-seekers.

In April 2020, as the Covid pandemic took hold, over 300 asylum seekers living in residential accommodation in communities in Glasgow were moved into hotels often remaining there for a prolonged period of time (in some cases up to 11 months) and being joined by new arrivals to the city. Concerns were raised by a number of charities about this move and the quality and appropriateness of the accommodation and associated support available including access to financial support, adequate healthcare, and nutritious food.

In May 2020 one of the residents died in a hotel and in June, several people, including a police officer, were stabbed in an incident in the Park Inn Hotel. The attacker, who was an asylum seeker, was shot dead by police. A number of calls have been made to the Home Office for a Public Inquiry into the circumstances which led to these incidents. This has been declined and charities are seeking a judicial review of the UK Government’s decision.

In the meantime, there remains a need for a better understanding of how asylum seekers were accommodated and supported in Glasgow during the pandemic. Against that backdrop, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC has responded to a call from Refugees for Justice to chair an independent evidence-based inquiry into the issues.

Asylum Inquiry Scotland 

This independent Inquiry will examine asylum support and accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Glasgow looking at the system in play and its impact on individuals and the wider city. The Inquiry will assess the compatibility of the system with human rights principles and relevant legislation; the effectiveness of safeguarding; and mechanisms for scrutiny and accountability. Through this examination, it seeks to ensure that learning from what transpired in Glasgow can be used to improve the system of asylum support and accommodation both in Glasgow and across the UK.

Approach

The Inquiry will be conducted by an independent panel of 6 members supported by the inquiry Chair and secretariat. The Inquiry places a premium on bringing together lived experience with other, more formal, forms of evidence and expertise. In that context, the Inquiry Panel comprises a mix of individuals with experience of the asylum system and professional experts.

The Inquiry is keen to hear evidence from a broad range of voices and organisations including policymakers, statutory agencies, charities, citizens, employees, as well as those people directly impacted by the asylum support system and accommodation provision. This will be facilitated through a call for evidence and a number of oral evidence sessions and listening sessions.