Brian Capaloff, homelessness and supporting people manager, Clackmannanshire Council
The way I see it
We must weigh up the cost of saying ‘no’ to asylum seekers’ plea for housing
I was horrified by the news of the suicides in the Red Road flats, in Glasgow, last month (Inside Housing, 12 March).
Ultimately we must ask why this ocurred and whether it had anything to do with the asylum system, the way the local community has looked upon the residents, or whether it is much bigger than all of that.
I refer to society, to the media, to individual communities, to the economy, which - inevitably at times of stress - causes an increase in prejudice surrounding asylum seekers.
I read with horror an open letter sent to the YMCA by human rights campaigner Robina Qureshi. It was about an incident involving the clearing of one resident’s belongings, allegedly, without forewarning. I instinctively thought about the vulnerable humans (labelled asylum seekers) behind this whom society tends to forget.
I have worked in homelessness since 1990. When I come to work my overriding motivation is to ensure that staff I now manage can provide a good service for members of the public who have need of our help. On occasion, however, this is just not possible - not because of the inadequacies of the staff member, or services within the local authority, but because of the inequities of the legislative framework within which we work.
With regard to asylum seekers, where there is no recourse to public funds there is a psychological burden placed upon staff to say: ‘Sorry, there is nothing we can do for you.’
Yes, in places there might be additional resources to help such people, for example, through Scottish charity Positive Action in Housing, but this is not always the case.
Hopefully the vast majority of us enter this career not because we want to earn a fortune (because we won’t), but because we want to help people in times of need.
Saying ‘no’ to individuals, and sometimes to whole families, goes against everything many of us believe in. Sometimes, though we have no choice.
It would be good to get an acknowledgement of the impact this has on staff, through management, who - all too often - see budget headings when looking at homelessness services, rather than the lives and the issues behind the numbers.
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (1)
Brian Capaloff | 16/04/2010 9:36 am
Just to add this paragraph to the above! -
We can be horrified and condemn the events which led to these suicides, and criticise the use of condemned blocks for unwanted asylum seekers, and pillory the YMCA, these people's landlord, but whilst there may not be such well-publicised suicides in other places within the UK, are there not equally horrific actions elsewhere, taking place within a comfort zone that condemns increased immigration, that pillories asylum seekers and that forgets that the vast majority of these are vulnerable people who could contribute positively to our society and who just want somewhere safe for them and their families to live in.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment