Asylum seekers attacked with eggs and threatened in Perth city centre

Young asylum seekers have been attacked with eggs and threatened in Perth city centre amid a rise in racist incidents, a council committee report has revealed.

Perth and Kinross Council released details of a series of racist incidents targeting asylum seekers between July and late October this year.

The council committee report claimed that a young asylum seeker had an egg thrown at him in the city centre on August 23.

On the same day, the council said another young asylum seeker was verbally abused and threatened at The Bank pub.

The incidents occurred the same day that anti-asylum protests and counter protests were held at Perth Railway Station car park.

The report also said graffiti, which featured swastikas and the words ‘kill all blacks’ and ‘KKK’, was removed from the Moncreiffe area of Perth in October.

There were also reports of “increased racial abuse” being experienced by local taxi drivers from black and minority ethnic communities.

Instances of “unauthorised filming” and attempted entry at the Station Hotel and Queens Hotel, which both house asylum seekers, were also detailed in the report.

The council said that police have been made aware of the incidents.

The housing and wellbeing paper updated councillors on the work taken to support refugees and people seeking asylum in Perth and Kinross over the past year.

It comes at a time of unrest and heightened tensions across the country around the process of accommodating people seeking asylum in hotels.

UK ministers have promised to end the use of hotels by the next election and the Prime Minister has said he wants to see asylum hotels closed “as quickly as possible”.

Perth has been affected by protests locally with six anti-asylum protests, including one unauthorised city centre march, taking place between August and October – all of which have been met by counter protests.

‘Racist abuse and graffiti won’t be tolerated’

Local leaders in Perth and Kinross condemned the “small rise” in racist abuse and graffiti in recent months and reaffirmed the local authority’s status as a Council of Sanctuary.

Councillors also condemned misinformation surrounding both the accommodation for those seeking asylum as well as racists incidents reported in the city centre.

“Sadly, we have seen a small rise in incidents of racial abuse and racist graffiti in recent months,” local housing and social wellbeing convener Tom McEwan said.

“This will not be tolerated. We are working closely with Police Scotland and our partner agencies to ensure that any such incidents are dealt with swiftly and appropriately.

“Perth and Kinross will remain a welcoming, inclusive place for everyone.”

Council leader Eric Drysdale reaffirmed that the political leadership of Perth and Kinross Council “stands united in this commitment and in our proud status as a Council of Sanctuary”.

“For generations, the people of Perth and Kinross have opened their doors to those fleeing conflict and persecution. This spirit of compassion and solidarity is part of who we are,” Cllr Drysdale said.

“We fully support the right to peaceful protest but we need to be clear: hate incidents on our streets are completely unacceptable. Everyone should feel safe walking the streets of Perth and Kinross without fear of violence or verbal abuse – regardless of their background or where they come from.”