Motion to Scottish Council February 2006

Asylum seeker families

Council deplores the unacceptable treatment of asylum seeker families, many of whom have been happily settled for years in Scotland and the UK, and in particular the practice of removing these families from their homes in dawn raids.

Council is particularly concerned about the impact of these tactics on the children of asylum seekers, and believes that such inhumane and degrading treatment breaches their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It creates distress and fear not only for those children directly affected, but also for other refugee children, who must live in terror that it could happen to them.

Council believes that this goes totally against the spirit of the "One Scotland, Many Cultures initiative, and Scotland's economic need for people to come and settle and work in this country.

Council fully supports the online petition "An amnesty for Scottish asylum families" and undertakes to promote this to branches and members.

Council further resolves:-

1. to campaign for an end to the forcible removal of asylum families from Scotland, and in particular, an end to the practice of dawn raids.

2. to work with UNISON nationally to campaign for an amnesty for all asylum families living in this country for a year or more, in line with the precedent set in 2002 by the then Home Secretary.

3. to urge branches to write to their MPs and MSPs to raise these matters and seek their support.

4. to make a donation of £500.00 to the Positive Action in Housing hardship fund which provides humanitarian aid to destitute asylum seekers.

5. to urge branches to make donations to the hardship fund and to raise this matter with members.

Submitted by: Aberdeenshire Local Government Branch

top