Pressure group says new centre aims to get vulnerable people out of the country as quickly as possible meaning their cases won't be heard properly
A campaign has been launched to block a proposed immigration detention centre from being built in Paisley.
Activists under the name of Stop Detention in Scotland have blasted the plans as “disturbing” and are urging people to submit objections to Renfrewshire Council, whose planning committee will decide whether it gets the go-ahead.
The 51-bed, short-stay centre proposed by the Home Office is to be located on Abbotsinch Road next to Glasgow Airport. It is the replacement for the controversial Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in North Lanarkshire, whose closure was announced last month.
The new centre, if approved, would be built on a former site of The Clansman social club and be made up of 20 bedrooms, 12 of which would be for men, five for women, two for those classed as vulnerable and one for a disabled person.
It will mete out more cruelty with less scrutiny. Worst of all, it will detain whole families and children through the backdoor - Robina Qureshi
A 3.6m fence would be built surrounding the centre to keep detainees in.
The majority of detainees would stay for less than one week the Home Office has said.
Campaigners, many of whom fought for the closure of Dungavel, are outraged that after getting rid of one centre another is to open.
Leonna O’Neill, a member of Stop Detention in Scotland, told TFN the group has been handing out flyers in Paisley trying to make as many people aware of the plans as possible in order to put pressure on the council to refuse planning.
It is also considering a demonstration at the site.
“We believe it marks a disturbing shift in Home Office policy to get people out of the country as quick as possible without the proper hearing of their cases,” she said.
“Once refugees are removed from Scotland, they will have no access to legal support, essentially putting an end to their asylum claim, having a devastating impact on the lives of many refugees.
“It is going to make what is already an awful situation for refugees even worse.”
Stop Detention in Scotland has created a website for its campaign which features advice on how members of the public can complain, as well as offering the opportunity for organisations and people with high profiles to submit their support. A public petition is also being set up.
The group has been joined in condemning the new centre by a number of organisations and 25 comments have already been registered on the planning application.
What the new immigration detention centre could look like (Grove Developments)
Robina Qureshi, director of refugee and migrant homelessness charity Positive Action in Housing, called on members and supporters to support the campaign.
She said: “The proposed short-term holding facility for refugees and migrants at Glasgow Airport will fast track more genuine refugees out of Scotland than Dungavel ever did.
“It will mete out more cruelty with less scrutiny. Worst of all, it will detain whole families and children through the backdoor.
“This is Westminster at its worst and all done on Scottish soil.”
Gary Christie, head of policy, at the Scottish Refugee Council, said that the council was pleased to hear the end of long term, indefinite detention for immigration purposes in Scotland through the closure of Dungavel but was concerened the new short stay centre in Paisley would see those being detained simply shunted to immigration detention estates in Europe.
He added: "The creation of the new short-term detention facility at Glasgow Airport brings into stark focus this inhumane practice – many of those detained will not be removed but instead will be transported to languish in other detention centres in England away from support networks and Scottish lawyers to act on their behalf.
"The UK Government must bring an end to indefinite immigration detention and invest in much cheaper community based alternatives. With engagement and support, migrants can resolve their cases in the community without this cruel and unnecessary system of incarceration.”
Naomi McAuliffe, Amnesty International’s Scotland programme director, was also critical of the proposed replacement: “We welcome the planned closure of Dungavel, but we don’t want to see the very serious consequences of detention being shifted to another location," she said.
“There must be a more humane approach to housing refugees and asylum-seekers, and efforts made to solve the destructive impact that being in detention causes, and the terrible toll it takes on the most vulnerable people.
“It is unacceptable that the UK Government locks up thousands in immigration detention, including rape victims and torture survivors.”
Announcing the new centre, UK immigration minister Robert Goodwill said replacing Dungavel would result in a “significant saving for the public purse”.
He added: "The new short-term holding facility would provide easy access to London airports, from where most removals take place, meaning those with no right to be in the UK can be removed with less delay.”
Members of the public can comment on the planning application only have until Friday, 22 October.
Renfrewshire Council’s planning committee is scheduled to discuss the application at its next meeting on 8 November. If councillors choose to do so they could refer the decision to the full council which next meets in December.
If rejected an appeal could be heard by the Scottish Government.
