29 September 2005

The shame of Scotland

The BBC website records the end of the saga:

A Kosovan family whose eviction sparked a row over dawn raids on failed asylum seekers have been deported.
The Home Office confirmed it had deported the Vucaj family, who were taken from their Glasgow flat after their asylum application was rejected.
Witnesses said the family endured heavy-handed tactics during the eviction, prompting friction between the Home Office and Scottish ministers.
The family's supporters expressed sadness at the deportation.
Members of the group Positive Action in Housing (PAIH) said they were heartbroken for the family.
Director Robina Qureshi said 13-year-old Saida Vucaj called her in a distressed state at 0420 BST to tell her the family were being deported. Seconds later the phone went dead. Robina Qureshi said: "I was fool enough to think that children and photographs and lobbying and a visit to the first minister only seven days ago might change hearts, might win some form of reprieve. Instead, the family are being woken at dawn - yet again, so nothing's changed there - and being 'sent back' to Kosovo or Albania taking with them the clothes on their back and their Glasgow accents."
The Green Party deserves credit for pushing the matter; and I have nothing but admiration for the schoolkids of Drumchapel and their efforts to save their schoolmates. The Scottish Executive has been criticised, probably with some justice, for failing to prevent this family from being deported. To be fair to the First Minister, he has at least taken a position on the issue. But, bearing in mind that this is a reserved matter, one might ask what has been the position of the Scotland Office and Secretary of State Darling - keeping their heads down is the obvious answer.

And what about John Robertson, the Westminster MP responsible for the Drumchapel area? Absolutely nothing on this matter on his website (here) and no indication that he has ever raised the matter in parliament (here). Why not? What is he getting paid for?

No comments: