Scottish GovernmentJohn Swinney has accused the Home Office of taking a “poor approach” to its asylum barracks announcement made earlier this year.
Westminster confirmed on Monday that two military barracks, in Scotland and southern England, will be used to house around 900 men in total as the UK Government aims to end the use of hotels to house people awaiting decisions on their asylum claims.
The Highland Council said it was notified that Cameron Barracks in Inverness would be used to house around 300 asylum seekers on a phased basis from December for up to a year.
In response to the announcement, the Scottish Government said there had been no prior consultation on the issue, while the local authority was told just the day before.
Speaking to journalists after his keynote speech at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Scotland think tank conference in Edinburgh, Swinney said: “I think whatever approach is taken here, the emphasis has got to be on engagement with communities about the proposals that are being brought forward.
“I think the reaction from Highland Council and a number of community representatives in Inverness demonstrates there has absolutely been a poor approach taken by the Home Office, which is, frankly, consistent with how the Home Office operates.
“I recognise these are sensitive issues and they require careful and sensitive handling, and they require good engagement. All of that has been missing from how the Home Office has gone about this.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it should not have come as a surprise that the barracks were being earmarked as a potential site.
“It has been a clear policy indication from the UK Labour Government for a very long time now that they want to end the use of asylum hotels, that they recognise the pressures that exist in the housing stock across the country, and how that then has knock-on impacts and challenges when you have a housing emergency in Scotland,” he said.
“So, for the Scottish Government to pretend that somehow this is now a shock, I just don’t buy that argument.
“What is it they’re suggesting? Are they suggesting we should instead use asylum hotels or social housing? Or are they supporting the use of the barracks?”
Sarwar added: “I think the confusion is on the party of the Scottish Government’s policy and position here.”
‘Labour will prove polls wrong’, says Sarwar
Speaking at the conference, Sarwar said his party will prove polls wrong and win next year’s Holyrood election.
His comments followed a study by Survation for the IPPR Scotland think tank, which suggested that Reform UK has leapfrogged Labour into second place, with the SNP maintaining a large lead with almost six months to go before voters go to the polls.
STV News“I have been told by polls, pollsters, commentators, pundits, that I’m massively behind, that Scottish Labour is going to lose,” Sarwar told the conference.
“I was told that before the general election, we won, and we won a clear majority. I was told that before the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, we were going to come third; we won it, and I’m being told that now.
“I’m telling you now, I’m going to prove them all wrong.
“We are going to win next year.”
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