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Submission Scottish Parliament February 2017 – cut off 8 March
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Background: The Equalities and Human Rights Committee of the Scottish Parliament will soon
consider the issue of destitution and asylum seekers in Scotland and ways in which public services can
mitigate destitution.
‘Destitution’ is legally defined in section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 19991. A person is
destitute if
(i) they do not have adequate accommodation or any means of obtaining it, whether or not
essential living needs are met or
(ii) have adequate accommodation or the means of obtaining it, but can’t meet other essential
living needs.
Objective of consultation: Identify where changes could be made to policy, standards and guidance to
address destitution.
Proposal : to seek responses from each of 3 groups : (1.) Refugees (2.) Refuweegee the organisation
and (3.) Other organisations with whom Refuweegee works.
HMH/PRIVATE/33208955 v1
2
Questionnaire 1. : For people who have recently arrived in Glasgow
Item
Home/Shelter
Question
Response or Comments
Do you have a home ?
Yes
If you have a home, do you feel safe in it ?
Yes
If you do not have a home, where do you find shelter ?
Have you had to sleep outdoors ?
Is the procedure for getting a home easy or
complicated ?
- who helps you with that procedure ?
Have you been a victim of violence in your home,
close to your home or in a shelter ?
Is your home warm and clean ?
My friends
No
Not complicated but hard and take a long
time
My support worker at hostel
No
Most of the time
Do you have a bed and a bath or shower; does each
member of your family have a bed or a cot ?
Yes
Is your home permanent accommodation or will you
have to move ?
Permanent
Was the help you received getting a home useful and
reliable – if not, why not ?
Is your home close to the homes or communities of
other people or families from your country of origin ?
No
Do you worry about losing your home ?
No
Have you been allocated a health worker ?
No
Have you been visited in your home by a health
worker ?
No
yes
Do you have a GP (doctor)
Communities
Do you feel part of a local community ?
Yes
Is being part of a local community important to you ?
Yes
Have you been able to meet and form relationships
with other individuals or families from your country of
Yes
Social Connections
3
origin ?
3 days
- If so, how quickly did that happen ?
Met them at Mosque
- If so, how was that achieved ?
If you do not feel part of a local community, is that
influenced by
- where you stay ?
- the nationality of the people around you ?
- distance/ travel costs ?
- fear of leaving your home ?
- language barriers ?
- - limited access to interpreting services ?
- busy with children, schools, healthcare, work ?
- the community does not reflect any of your needs
including cultural or religious ?
What makes you feel safe and happy ?
How do you think people are made safe and happy ?
Healthcare
Do you have good health ?
No
Do you have a health care provider ?
Do you know where your local doctor and hospital are
?
Yes
Do you understand where to go or who to contact in a
medical emergency ?
Yes
Have you avoided seeking medical or dental advice or
pregnancy or child care because you were:
- scared of the outcome ?
- worried about the nature of the treatment ?
- language barriers ?
- fear of expenses/costs ?
- worried about male practitioners ?
- prevented by someone ?
*
4
- could not afford travel costs ?
- worried about intervention by other organisations
Schools
If you have children, do they go to school ?
Is the school close to where you live ?
Do you have to travel a distance to get to school and
how much does that cost each week ?
Was there a time gap between you arriving in Scotland
and getting your children placed in school ?
Were your children started in the term at the same
time as all other pupils ?
Are there other children who come from the same
country or origin as you and your family ?
Have you met the teachers of your children ?
Have you met other parents of children at the school ?
Would you attend a local parents group ?
Are there opportunities for you as a parent to become
involved in the school community ?
Are you able to afford clothing for your children
including school uniform?
Do your children like going to school ?
Do you think your children are happy at school ?
- If they are happy, why ?
- If they are not happy, why not ?
Administration/
General/Welfare
Have you been able to understand the procedures
involved in:
- getting a home
Yes
- getting money
Yes
- finding a community
Yes
5
- reporting damage to your home
Yes
- reporting violence or prejudice against you or your
family
- applying for refuge/asylum
Yes
- receiving information to allow you to start assisting
yourself and your family
No
- finding school education for your children
- finding work
Yes
- registering with a GP/dentist/obstetrician
Yes
- is there good access to an interpreter or documents
in your language origin ?
Have there been difficulties and if so what have those
been ?
Are you fearful of organisations and if so, why ?
Would you avoid seeking help from organisations or
charities and rely on yourself instead ?
Have you found the support of charities or other
organisations helpful ?
Any other
comments