International Refugee Week
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-1416, in the name of Kenny MacAskill, on international refugee week. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes that 14 to 20 June 2004 is International Refugee Week; welcomes the great social, cultural and economic benefits that refugees have brought to Scotland over the years; recognises that they continue to bring these benefits and in many instances arrive in Scotland as a result of war, and destitution caused thereby; notes that events are taking place worldwide to mark the week, and welcomes the establishment of the Edinburgh Refugee Centre at St George's West Church in Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, providing humanitarian support, advice and assistance for refugees and asylum seekers.
International refugee week is significant throughout the world. Therefore, it is appropriate that it be recognised in this chamber. I am grateful to members who have supported it and I publicly thank the Scottish Refugee Council, the Refugee Survival Trust and myriad others not only for their assistance in preparation for this debate but, more important, for their care of refugees at home and abroad.
I should comment at the outset on two matters. First, the debate takes place in the shadow of events in Sudan where, because of war, famine and destitution once again stalk the continent of Africa. Many will fall and the fortunate will flee. It is our duty to play our part in their care; refugees from that land and from elsewhere must be made welcome.
The debate also comes in the shadow of the European elections in which, sadly, almost 100,000 people in our country voted for parties that are either covertly fascist or overtly anti-immigrant. We like to think that we are all Jock Tamson's bairns and that we are devoid of the racism that manifests itself elsewhere. However, that was always delusional, given historical events from the slave trade to the establishment of the British empire, which show that some of our people are no different from people elsewhere and that they are equally possessed of reprehensible attitudes. As well as addressing the refugee crisis without, we must guard against a cancer within.
Migration is perceived as being a 21st century phenomenon; it is a major humanitarian issue throughout the world and a major political issue within all lands. However, refugees are not new. They have been with us from time immemorial. The fact is that the Scotland in which we live has been created and crafted by migrants and refugees throughout history. Scots, after all, are universally accepted as being a mongrel race. Within the city of Edinburgh, refugees from other lands have helped to make it a capital to be proud of. Were it not for migrants fleeing persecution or seeking economic advancement, the cosmopolitan nature—never mind the commercial success—of the city would never have been achieved. From Valvona & Crolla through Ukrainian churches and Polish clubs to Hibernian Football Club, we have living testimony to the people from many lands who have all come and contributed in a variety of ways to our capital city.
The Scotland that we know and cherish would not be but for the contribution that has been made throughout the centuries by people from many lands and different cultural backgrounds—and still they come. Their places of origin may change, but the drivers of their arrival are the same. There is a push me, pull me effect with refugees: some are fleeing war and destitution while others come seeking salvation and opportunity. With regard to the former, it is our moral duty to address the needs and wants of those who flee war or famine. Any failure to do that demeans us as a nation and tarnishes our common humanity—a humanity that we in Scotland are proud to have personified in our national bard and in his immortal words:
"That Man to Man the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that."
With regard to the latter group, to seek economic improvement is no crime; indeed, it is a virtue that we seek to extol in Parliament in addressing an underperforming economy. For people to do so by leaving their native land cannot be criticised by anyone from those shores. People whose forefathers and foremothers left the ports of Greenock and Cork in search of a new world cannot reject others who do likewise—those who do either have no knowledge of history, or have selective amnesia. Many people in Scotland would do well to remember that Scotland's loss has been America's and Canada's gain and that, likewise, people's migration here will be to our social and economic benefit. It is important to note that refugees do not come empty-handed: as our kith and kin built a new world, they contribute to ours. They not only bring cultural diversity, but add commercial drive.
There is currently a dichotomy between Westminster legislative impediments and Scottish Executive desires. That must be overcome for the sakes both of Scots and of refugees. A recent Executive study of refugees and asylum seekers indicated the huge potential that those individuals have, never mind the pool of labour that they offer to a country that faces severe skills shortages. Fifty per cent of them are educated to college degree level or above, 20 per cent hold a doctorate or postgraduate degree and 10 per cent speak four languages or more. Each and all of those talents are badly required in the modern Scotland that we in Parliament seek to create. Those are skills that they possess and that we desire, so blanket restrictions on employment and working serve us badly, and them likewise.
I seek not to berate the Executive—we are debating a members' business motion, on which we seek to achieve cross-party consensus—but to call for it to be more self-confident in its actions and to recognise the necessity of viewing Scotland's national needs differently from those south of the border, and in so doing to allow us to address our international responsibilities and obligations distinctly.
To address the needs of refugees is not charity, but common humanity, which also offers significant social, cultural and economic advantages for our own small nation.
I congratulate Kenny MacAskill both on securing the debate and on his speech on a very important issue for us all. I add to his my congratulations to those who have been involved in organising international refugee week. I acknowledge in particular the role of the Scottish Refugee Council. I am aware of the excellent work that is being done in my constituency by the local integration network and I acknowledge the efforts that are being made in my constituency at local level to support refugees and asylum seekers.
Before I go on to the substance of my remarks, I bring members' attention to an excellent little storytelling project—the village project in St James' church in Pollok, in my constituency. Members who have not seen the book that was produced as a result of the project should look for it—it is called "Buffalo Horns". The project brought together people from the wide array of countries that are represented in the greater Pollok area, who put their traditional stories and experiences into the book. It is stunning to read about the range of experiences that people in one small area of one city have had. Young people in the community and schools were also involved in the project.
I was struck by what the book represents for the area and it made me think about my background and history. So many Scots understand about migration and about having to travel and be distant from their families. That experience is part of the folklore of my family and is an experience that I expect many members share. When I read the book, it struck me that we do not fear what we know, so if we understand and celebrate difference rather than fear it, we are all strengthened rather than weakened by it.
Today, I was privileged to accept an invitation from Amnesty International to visit an asylum seeker in the Glasgow area to talk to him about his experiences. I was struck by his generous and measured comments about his experiences in the city; I will highlight a couple of points that he made, which will inform the work that I want to do on the matter.
First, the person whom I met made the simple point that he had fled his country because of political persecution. We should not forget that in this country we are still able to speak our minds—he feels very strongly about that. He also appreciates the services that he has received from Glasgow City Council and from the health and education services. Glasgow City Council is to be congratulated on continuing to develop its programme and on learning from the difficulties of the past.
The asylum seeker also said—I was surprised by this—that he has not experienced any real harassment since his arrival and that the people of Glasgow have been welcoming. We have to be vigilant and we have to challenge people who are not welcoming, but we must also recognise that rather than regard asylum seekers and refugees necessarily as a problem, people in communities often welcome them.
The man made another important point in describing his first days in Glasgow, when he was looking for security for his family. He welcomed the role of the formal agencies, but said that the informal contacts that he made were much more important. He made accidental contact with the local Catholic church and the informal welcome that he received there helped him to start to feel safe in a place that he knew nothing about. It is important to acknowledge and celebrate the voluntary activities of people, groups and churches, which can have great significance not just for asylum seekers and refugees but for many vulnerable people in our communities. Such activity, which happens simply because it needs to happen, speaks to the good in us all and I urge the Executive to ensure its continued support for such work.
The person whom I met raised one issue very strongly. What he said about his need to work was very powerful. In his own country he was a qualified electrician and since coming to this country three years ago he has undertaken extensive training and education and developed his language and technical skills, in respect of which his frustration and unhappiness became most evident. He wants to work, he has the skills to work and he wants to support his family and to put something back into the community from which he has benefited. He said that if he had one plea it was to be allowed to work. I urge the Executive to continue to work with the Westminster Government to find a way to ensure that that pride and desire to contribute and, by learning and working, to challenge some of the images that people have of asylum seekers and refugees is built on, rather than feared.
As I said, the comments of the asylum seeker whom I met were generous and measured. He had sought, and largely achieved, security for himself and his family. We must work with such people and communities to consider how we can ensure that people can make the best of the new life that they start in this country when their status is secured. We must consider how best we can support them so that they can use the professional skills that they used in their homeland for their benefit and for ours. I congratulate all those who are involved in international refugee week.
I, too, congratulate Kenny MacAskill on securing the debate. It was a pleasure to sign and support the motion. I also compliment Kenny on his very thoughtful speech. As Johann Lamont said, the debate is timely. It will send an important message from all quarters of the chamber. It is a message that we must continue to send strongly.
I come from the Highlands and we know about refugees. As Kenny rightly pointed out, Canada and the United States have benefited from sadnesses in our own land.
As Kenny said, we have known refugees in Britain for a very long time. One thinks of La Rochelle and the invasion of Louis XIII that led to the Huguenot influx to this country. One thinks of the war and the Czechs, the Jews and the Poles. We all have constituents who were grateful to come here. They are all super, useful members of society.
One thinks also of the economic wealth that has been generated by those people. Marks and Spencer is a good example. A huge amount of business has been done by the people who came to Britain during the war years. We have a long and proud record of welcoming refugees. Kenny is therefore right to warn of what he called "a cancer within". We must remember the kindnesses that were afforded to highlanders a long time ago and we must remember the good that people do when they come to our country.
Linda Fabiani is with us in the chamber. She is perhaps not a refugee but an economic migrant. The minister's own husband is called Mulligan, which sounds to me like a name from across the Irish sea. I myself have a certain amount of French and Irish blood. Johann Lamont said that we should celebrate our differences and she is absolutely correct. By celebrating differences, enjoying them and seeing how they enrich our lives, we can see the positive side of refugees.
I want to make one specific point that I think will interest members. In his motion, Kenny MacAskill mentions St George's West church in Shandwick Place, where there is the centre run by the Edinburgh Cyrenians. The organisation that supplies much of the food to the Edinburgh Cyrenians is Fairshare, which for the past few months has been delivering food two or three times a week. Fairshare has been the subject of several motions—including one from Shiona Baird and one from Sarah Boyack. Fairshare takes food that is just about to pass its sell-by date in supermarkets and that would otherwise be dumped in landfill sites. The organisation takes homeless people in and helps them to work, delivering in the vans. I have spent a morning doing that.
I have a plug to make. Fairshare backs up Edinburgh Cyrenians. My cousin has been teaching refugees to cook through the Cyrenians. Tremendously good work is being done. Shiona Baird's motion asked the Executive to consider funding Fairshare and she was right to make that request. We are not talking about a lot of money. In reducing waste, in helping homeless people and in helping refugees who are so welcome to this country, great good is being done. However, greater good could be done if we put a little Scottish Executive cash the way of Fairshare. Advert over.
I, too, would like to congratulate Kenny MacAskill. It was nice to hear him speaking in such measured tones; his speeches are normally much more rumbustious.
I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. It is right that the Parliament should mark international refugee week in this way. I associate the Scottish Conservative party with the positive remarks that have been made about the Scottish Refugee Council.
I say to Jamie Stone that my mother came from Donegal. Many people who have ended up in the Parliament have parents who came to this country from elsewhere. I am very proud of my mother. However, life was not always easy for her. She was often made to feel that she was inferior, having come over on the Derry boat. She had many stories to tell.
International refugee week is a celebration of people who have much in their lives that makes it difficult to celebrate at all. For refugees who have fled persecution and conflict in their own lands, the sanctuary of our country should be welcoming, tolerant and compassionate. Refugees should feel able to celebrate their safety. We have to strive to foster an environment in which the willingness of many refugees to contribute to our society—while working to support themselves and their families—is encouraged and welcomed. Johann Lamont made that point.
In the Highlands, as in the rest of Scotland, there is a distinct skills deficit in occupational areas such as medicine and teaching, which are vital to the whole community. The shortage of doctors and other specialised medical staff is leading to threats to downgrade hospital services. As other members have said, many asylum seekers who come to Scotland possess the vital skills and education that would fill the gap in our services, so it would make sense for them to be allowed to work in this country while they seek refuge. That would benefit our communities and aid our economy.
Will the member give way?
I will give way in a second.
At the Conservative conference in Dundee, we had a fringe meeting that was set up by the Scottish Refugee Council. I was delighted to meet a chap called Dr Omar Hassan from Iraq, who desperately wants to contribute to society and to maintain his skills and training. He does not want to live on benefits; he is a qualified obstetrician. Do we need obstetricians in Caithness? At this point, I will give way to Jamie Stone.
Very well anticipated. Does the member agree that her point could be developed to say that such people could be brought into our system to help us to deal with the problems that we face in Caithness on the maternity front and in relation to 24-hour general practitioner cover?
I knew that Jamie Stone's intervention was timely.
The interesting thing is that I asked Dr Hassan whether he would like the job in Caithness, if it was going, and he said that he would go anywhere in Scotland.
Sign him up.
I wish I could.
As Johann Lamont said, more has to be done to allow refugees to work, for the sake of their respect and dignity and to allow them to keep their skills and training up to date. Working would give them pride in being able to look after their family and would help to alleviate the fear of going back to their country. I realise that tackling that issue is outwith the Parliament's remit, but I ask the Executive to work with our colleagues in the Westminster Government to examine whether people could use their skills while they wait for their work permit.
I will give some of the figures on the skills of refugees in Scotland, most of which Kenny MacAskill covered. More than 10 per cent of respondents to the Scottish Refugee Council's survey had medical skills, three quarters of them spoke more than one language and more than 30 per cent of them possessed qualifications in areas in which Scotland has a shortage of qualified workers.
I do not know whether Rob Gibson is speaking in the debate, but I have started to read his interesting book, "Plaids and Bandanas", which is about the Scottish drovers who went to various parts of the world. The Scots who went to all corners of the globe are very good for tourism, because many of their descendants come back to try to trace their ancestors and so on. That is a huge part of Scottish tourism. Such visitors are very welcome.
I, too, thank Kenny MacAskill for using this time for discussion of an incredibly important subject; it is unfortunate that we do not speak about it very often in the Parliament. I congratulate him on his motion and associate myself with his remarks.
I also want to congratulate and thank everyone who is involved in international refugee week and anyone who works with refugees—the churches, organisations such as Positive Action in Housing, the refugee councils throughout the country, the other groups that get in among the issue and the individuals on the street who just help where and when they can.
In the Parliament, we have talked a great deal recently about the skills shortage and how refugees can help to tackle it. That is correct. We must consider the issue and work out how to get the right balance.
I enjoy members' business debates, because members speak from the heart in them; that is what makes them important and special. I will speak from the heart, even though not everyone will applaud or agree with what I say. Given the subject of the debate, I must speak from the heart about particular individuals and the events that have happened to them.
I remember that, on the night before Mercy Ikolo went back to Ireland, we had a party for her in my house. Some of her friends from Cameroon and South Africa came. There were seven people in my living room who had degrees; I do not have a degree. Those seven people—among whom were two maths teachers, a doctor and a dentist; Mercy was a social worker—were unable to work. All their qualifications were being squandered. Apart from Mercy, all those people are still in Scotland—in Glasgow, in fact—and, sadly, all of them are still unable to work.
The skills shortage could be tackled by assisting people into work. However, we should not just consider people as resources or ask how they can help to address our skills shortage—we also have a population deficit. Those are two separate things. We want people to come to the country to work, but we do not give benefits, although we give working families tax credits and so on. That is fine, but how does it address the population deficit? Many members will know that people who are working might be unable to have children or bring up a family. That situation might get in the way of dealing with the population deficit.
The population deficit would be dealt with if we allowed people to come here and have children. We should also support them if they decide to go into the workplace, but if they do not and they desire to stay at home and look after their children, we should support them in that. That means saying to people that they can stay here, get full benefits and be taken care of. We must encourage people to bring their children to this country to grow up and be educated if we are to address the population deficit. The population deficit and the skills shortage are two separate issues. If we simply ask people to come from Poland or elsewhere to work, we will probably not address the long-term problem with the population.
That brings me to another story about a wee girl. Misheel is from Mongolia and tonight she is in Dungavel. She is eight years old and she is there with her mum, dad and 17-year-old brother. She came to this country about two years ago because her father, who was in a democratic party in Mongolia, was seen as a problem and was arrested and had to go into hiding. The family were in Liverpool for two years. The story is particularly painful because the little girl was selected by Liverpool City Council to be its princess on 10 July. Ten days ago, she was arrested and taken to Dungavel. Her parents had to tell her that she is not a princess but a prisoner. That is an unbearable fact and a painful situation.
Members know what I want to say about Dungavel and the lack of powers that the Parliament has on the issue. I cannot miss out the point, because I heard from that wee girl today. The wheels are in motion to send that family back to Mongolia tomorrow—they are supposed to be removed from Dungavel today. The little princess will go back to an uncertain future. It is likely that her daddy will be lifted at the airport when he arrives there because the guy is a problem for the Government. I cannot let the debate pass without bringing up that story.
That eight-year-old child could clearly be amazing for this country, as could Beriwan Ay and so many other children who have been removed with their parents. Refugee week is about the celebration of life, diversity and cultures. We must consider what we might do to encourage and grow diversity and to celebrate it so that in the future we have little children such as Percie, Beriwan and Misheel in this country. I hope that one day such people will also be in the Parliament.
Looking round the chamber, I was struck by the thought that, if the members present were in certain other countries, we would all either be potential refugees or in jail. All the members who are here are sufficiently sparkish that they would rebel against whatever totalitarian regime they were under and would go to jail or have to become a refugee. We have a vested interest in treating refugees decently.
I am glad that Kenny MacAskill, who made an excellent speech, mentioned specifically in his motion the refugee centre at St George's West church. I belong to a neighbouring church and have seen some of the good work that St George's West does. Churches have a great opportunity to tackle the problem that they face of the decline in support for orthodox religions. One way forward for them is to act as a base for operations that help groups such as refugees. My church works with prisoners and the homeless and I know of other churches that help people who have come out of jail and other groups that need help. The churches could play an even bigger part in our social life by promoting the causes of looking after particular groups who need support.
Johann Lamont mentioned the voluntary sector, which has an important role to play in helping refugees and asylum seekers in this country, who need all the support that they can get. I am not sure about the technicalities, but until we break the ridiculous bar on refugees working, we should explore whether there is more scope for them to do voluntary work, which at least would allow them to take their talents into the community, to start to integrate and to get personal satisfaction. I would have thought that, if there are some people of ingenuity in the Executive, we should be able to get round whatever ridiculous rules Westminster imposes, at least to the extent of making voluntary work available even if paid work is not.
I spent the weekend in grandson and granddaughter worship in London, which I do every now and then. My oldest grandson, aged 11, who is an enthusiastic supporter of the English football team, was dismayed when we worked out his ancestry, which is interesting, given today's subject, as it shows how mixed we are. He was 31.25 per cent Scottish, 25 per cent French, 25 per cent German, 12.5 per cent Norwegian and only 6.25 per cent English, which he was very sad about. I explained that, although the Scottish football team was useless, as a nation we are vastly superior to the English and so he should be pleased with himself. That illustrates how mixed we all are and how much interplay of different races, and how much movement, there has been.
One of the great stands, yet great failures—like most things in Scotland—in Scottish history was by the Flemings in Berwick, which was our chief town. They defended themselves to the last against Edward I, but they all got burned out and killed. The Flemings invented Scottish towns and French monks helped to invent our Borders abbeys, because the Scots at that time were not great at commerce. From then on, waves of people came in and helped us to regenerate. The same is true now and we must look forward to supporting refugees, enjoying their company and contribution and combating those who are devoted to giving them a bad press.
l thank Kenny MacAskill for giving me the chance to speak in this debate during international refugee week. I commend the statement in the motion that refugees have created in our country
"great social, cultural and economic benefits".
I draw to members' attention the campaign in the Shetland islands to try to stop the deportation of a Burmese woman who is waiting for the Home Office's review of her case. The situation for Hazel Minn is doubly difficult, because the campaign of no deportation of families from Shetland has the signature of one third of the population of the islands. The other of the two women that the campaign concerned—Tanya Koolmatrie, who is from Australia—has been given a reprieve by the Home Office and is going to be able to stay with her family in Shetland. However, Hazel Minn has the kind of views that would lead her into grave danger if she were deported to Burma. During international refugee week, it is essential to remember individuals whose lives are at risk and it is vital that our system can maintain pressure to have their cases reviewed.
People already contribute even when they are merely refugees, so to speak. Hazel Minn is studying community work at Shetland College and hopes to carry out such work if she is allowed to stay. Her two children, who are Burmese speakers, have learned to speak in Shetland dialect at the primary school in Hillswick in the north of the island where they live. The family is welcomed by the whole community, as members can see from the fact that the petition carries the signatures of a third of the population. We are talking about a welcoming community, about people who contribute and are integrated and about what makes for the diversity that we need for a healthy nation.
I wanted to make those points because the other family, who have been reprieved, are just as anxious and do not sleep at night from considering the stress that Hazel Minn's family suffer not knowing whether a far-off bureaucracy will allow them to stay. It is important that we put our voices behind the campaign to allow them to stay. If members have not signed the petition against the deportation of families from Shetland, I will circulate it with a motion to help, because we should try to bring to bear all the pressure that we can on the Home Office in this case. One of the campaigners visited me this afternoon and said that they are thankful that members of the Scottish Parliament have the opportunity to air such matters and to express their concerns in a non-partisan debate.
The idea of international refugee week is to recognise the humanitarian support, advice and assistance for refugees and asylum seekers that facilities such as the Edinburgh refugee centre offer. However, as Johann Lamont said, communities in many other places throughout Scotland also provide such support. That is to be welcomed. I hope that members agree with me that such good examples can be highly positive for our communities and deserve our support.
I thank Kenny MacAskill for making an eloquent speech and for securing this debate, so giving the Parliament a chance to celebrate international refugee week.
Last year, I, like Johann Lamont, spent an afternoon with an Edinburgh-based asylum seeker as part of a project that was organised by Amnesty International. I was struck by his generosity of spirit and the amount that he wanted to contribute to the country in which he had found himself. I was also struck by the reality of an asylum seeker's life in Edinburgh—a life of boredom and of waiting for responses from the Home Office, a distant bureaucracy that he could not understand and that did not seem to relate to his circumstances. That led to a life filled with fear that he would be returned to Sudan, the country from which he had fled. As Kenny MacAskill outlined, the situation in Sudan reminds us that many countries from which asylum seekers come to Scotland are among the most unsafe in the world, which is why people undergo the gruelling journeys that bring them to our shores.
The life of the asylum seeker with whom I spent an afternoon was also one of unemployment. He was a proud man who did not want handouts and benefits; he wanted to work and to support himself. He enjoyed the voluntary work that he was doing in the community, but he wanted to work and to look after himself. That is why I join other members in welcoming the Edinburgh refugee centre, which is a much-needed resource for the refugee community in Edinburgh. I would like refugees to be spread throughout Scotland, but I know that there are particular concerns in Glasgow, where support is only patchy. Refugees in Glasgow could do with a centre similar to the Edinburgh one.
I welcome Kenny MacAskill's motion because it reminds us about the destitution and war from which asylum seekers have fled. I am particularly concerned about the destitution that some asylum seekers face in Scotland. I know that it is not within the Scottish Executive's powers to address that problem, but it must be of concern to everyone in Scotland—whether our Westminster politicians, Holyrood politicians or the broad mass of ordinary people—that people live in destitution because the national asylum support service has withdrawn its support. That is particularly the case for people who are described in NASS's milk-bottle jargon as non-returnables—those whose home countries are too unsafe for them to return to but who are offered no benefits or support because their asylum claims have been turned down. We must deal with that destitution as the community of people in Scotland—a community that should welcome those who have fled poverty, war or destitution in the countries that they left behind.
I am particularly concerned about the latest proposal from the Home Office that those non-returnables—failed asylum seekers who are facing destitution—should be offered compulsory work in exchange for basic subsistence, as it is termed. The asylum seeker with whom I spent some time did some voluntary work, but that was work that he chose to do to support other organisations in his community. However, he wanted paid work. Community service is what we give to people who have committed an offence; we should not give it to asylum seekers.
I celebrate the cross-party unity among the Conservatives, Labour back benchers, the Liberals and Scottish National Party members on the idea that asylum seekers should be given the opportunity to support themselves and to contribute to Scottish society. I believe that asylum seekers have a right to work and I hope that our cross-party message goes to the Home Office and Westminster. That would be a real way of celebrating international refugee week and demonstrating our humanitarian obligations to the rest of the world.
I congratulate Kenny MacAskill on securing the debate, and I associate myself with everyone's remarks. All the speeches, by members of all parties, have been excellent, and they were all spoken straight from the heart. I thank the Scottish Refugee Council, the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees, Positive Action in Housing and the churches. Graham Blount in particular has done a lot of work in the cross-party group on refugees and asylum seekers. He has travelled all over Scotland, trying to help refugees and asylum seekers with their plight.
I see asylum seekers on a daily basis in the Glasgow area, as I am sure does Johann Lamont. They are situated in Sighthill, Townhead and all over the city. I cannot get over the welcome that I receive whenever I go up to these people's houses, whether just to knock on their door to see whether they are okay or to follow up a query that they have phoned into the constituency office. I remember one occasion when two boys were offered trials with Partick Thistle, our great football club in Glasgow, but unfortunately they could not take up the offer, because they did not have the permits needed to stay here permanently.
I was invited into the home of that family, and was given an absolute feast. I could not quite believe how these people could put such a feast in front of me and others on the pittance that they receive from the Home Office. I have been given such a marvellous welcome in every house that I have gone to. I wish that the media—certain tabloid newspapers, anyway—could see how such asylum seekers welcome us into their homes. Perhaps then there would not be such negative coverage of asylum seekers and refugees in the media. If there are any representatives of the media in the chamber, I hope that they will take that lesson on board. The scaremongering has to stop. These people are welcome in our country, and we look forward to welcoming them here. The media should heed that message.
I have been speaking about asylum seekers who have accommodation, for which I must thank Glasgow City Council. Lots of councils come in for a bit of flak on that issue, but Glasgow City Council has gone overboard to try to help. In particular, Mr O'Hara of the council's asylum seekers unit bends over backwards to help with any problems that asylum seekers have. Those asylum seekers who have a home are the lucky ones—if we can call them that. As might be the case in other areas—I know only about the Glasgow situation, because I have been so closely involved in it—asylum seekers are put out on the streets of Glasgow. They are destitute and have nowhere to go. All that they can be offered by the Simon Community and the various voluntary organisations that exist around Glasgow is, basically, a sleeping bag.
I have already spoken to Margaret Curran about the matter, and I appeal to the Deputy Minister for Communities to write to the Home Office or to speak to the relevant minister there—it is not Beverley Hughes now, but I cannot remember who it is; I am sure that the minister will remind me. We are not looking to the future at the moment. There are people here who have escaped persecution and who came to this country, expecting to be safe. They might not expect a marvellous welcome from people in this country, but they certainly get it, and despite that, they are thrown out on the streets. We have an army—near enough—of mainly young, single men, sleeping rough on our streets. Young women, aged perhaps 24 to 30, have now started coming to my surgeries, and some of them have been put out on the streets. We cannot condone that action, and the Home Office has to be made aware that we in the Scottish Parliament will not put up with it.
I appeal to anyone who will be in Glasgow on Saturday 19 June to get themselves along to the Glasgow Film Theatre to see "Welcome", a film by Camcorder Guerillas, narrated by Elaine C Smith, on the plight of asylum seekers who sleep rough on the streets. There will also be a question and answer session with asylum seekers and refugees, many of whom have degrees and are mathematicians, midwives or doctors but who cannot work and are put out on the streets. I appeal to members to take the opportunity to go along to the GFT on Saturday to see the film.
Some people in my area—particularly midwives—have been offered jobs and have letters from the school of nursing, midwifery and community health at Glasgow Caledonian University, but they cannot get work permits. In response to phone calls, the Home Office says that they are at the bottom of the pile, but some of them have been here for four years. We must do something about that.
Rosie Kane is quite right—we should not just say that people should come here because that is economically viable for our country; humanitarian concern states that we should bring people in. However, they want to work and the work is there. I ask the minister to speak to the Home Office to say, "Enough is enough—get these people their work permits, give them their passports back and let them be the vibrant members of the community that they want to be."
I, too, congratulate Kenny MacAskill on securing the debate. At the beginning, I was a little worried that a procession of members would stand up and declare their backgrounds and where they come from. I have to say that it is probably due to my mongrel background that I do not take exception to Mr Gorrie's somewhat harsh comments about our English neighbours.
Scotland has a long and proud tradition of welcoming new people from countries throughout the world. That flow of people and the ideas and talents that they bring has benefited our country in the past and I am sure that it will continue to do so in the future. We must ensure that new Scots get a warm welcome when they arrive here. Refugee week plays a major part in that welcome and I congratulate all those who are involved in promoting it. It provides the opportunity to celebrate the contribution of refugees and to improve our understanding of why they fled their countries.
Those who come to escape persecution need our support more than most. That is why, since September 2001, the Executive has invested considerable resources in projects to aid the integration of refugees and asylum seekers. Communities Scotland has provided funding for a range of local projects that aim to improve local services and to promote community development and integration. The funding is for the use of everyone in the community, not solely refugees. Projects that have been supported include the Red Road women's centre, drop-in facilities and crèches. Funding has also been provided for the Edinburgh refugee centre, which will be formally opened tomorrow, as Kenny MacAskill and Jamie Stone mentioned. We welcome the centre, and funding in the region of £43,000 has been provided this year, which will enable work to be carried forward.
In addition, more than £4 million has been made available through the Scottish Further Education Funding Council for the provision of English classes to speakers of other languages. Refugees and asylum seekers are able to attend such classes free of charge. Some knowledge of English is vital to allow refugees and asylum seekers to access services and, more basically, to interact with members of their local community and participate in local life.
The Executive is committed to the integration of refugees, which is why we set up the Scottish refugee integration forum in January 2002. The forum was tasked with developing action plans to enable the successful integration of refugees in Scotland and the provision of accessible, co-ordinated, good-quality services. The Scottish refugee integration forum action plan was published in February 2003 and contains more than 50 key actions that are likely to make a real difference to the lives of refugees. Work in that area continues and a further implementation report will be published early in 2005.
The Executive has made funding available for projects that directly implement actions that are set out in the action plan and for work that aids refugee integration more generally. Such initiatives include the bridges project, which provides work-shadowing opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers; a job brokerage project from Glasgow Chamber of Commerce that assists refugees into work; and support for Community Service Volunteers Scotland to provide tailored and supported volunteering opportunities, which Donald Gorrie and Sandra White have talked about.
Social projects that involve refugee and host communities, such as football teams and healthy-eating kitchens, have also received funding, and further funding will be made available this year for various projects that are being worked up.
I am sorry to return to my point, but when the Executive considers further funding, will it please bear in mind Fairshare and perhaps the Greyfriars kirkhouse mission?
I heard Mr Stone's initial bid, which we will examine.
We need to be clear about the Executive's role. We have responsibility for the integration of refugees and, where appropriate, asylum seekers, but we do not have a role in asylum decisions or the support that is provided to asylum seekers. Those matters are obviously the responsibility of the Home Office. However, we have made representations to Home Office ministers—and in particular the new Minister for Citizenship and Immigration, Des Browne—about the implications of asylum issues for Scotland and about the Scottish people's concerns. We will continue to do that. The policy is for the Home Office to make decisions, but it is important that Scottish views are heard.
That has also had results for the fresh talent initiative. We are all well aware that Scotland's population is aging and declining and is likely to continue to do so. Fresh talent aims to address that and to ensure that Scotland has a sustainable population.
The initiative focuses on four key subjects: promoting Scotland as a place to live and work for those who have a legal right to do so here; promoting Scotland as a destination for people who apply for UK work permits; encouraging students at Scottish universities to stay in Scotland; and improving first impressions of Scotland on arrival.
In September 2003, the First Minister announced the intention to establish a national relocation advisory service, which should be operational by October this year. It will be part of the Executive and will give advice to a wide range of clients who express an interest in living and working in Scotland.
The Executive has allocated £3 million to develop the fresh talent initiative and further work is under way to promote Scotland as a place to live and work as part of a wider promotional campaign. I heard what members said about opportunities for work. We will continue to work with our colleagues at Westminster to address the issues that have been raised.
If we want to attract people here, we need to ensure that Scotland is welcoming, open and diverse. Therefore, Scotland should be no place for racism. We are committed to eliminating all forms of prejudice and discrimination and to confronting those who peddle race hate. Religious intolerance is also unacceptable in a modern, multifaith and multicultural society such as Scotland's.
I agree with much of what Kenny MacAskill and others said. Refugees have brought many benefits to Scotland and will continue to do so. Refugee week plays an important part in ensuring that those benefits are recognised and in providing positive images to counteract some of the deplorable media coverage that we must see. The Scottish Executive is fully committed to ensuring that refugees can integrate into their local communities and that communities do their part to welcome their new neighbours.
Meeting closed at 17:59.