NICOLA Sturgeon condemned the UK Home Office and its immigration policy after a dawn raid sparked outrage in her constituency.
The First Minister hit out at the “unacceptable” behaviour of Priti Patel’s Home Office and for putting Police Scotland in a “invidious position”.
Taking to Twitter, Sturgeon said: “I disagree fundamentally with @ukhomeoffice immigration policy but even putting that aside, this action was unacceptable. To act in this way, in the heart of a Muslim community as they celebrated Eid, and in an area experiencing a Covid outbreak was a health and safety risk.
“Both as MSP and as FM, I will be demanding assurances from the UK Government that they will never again create, through their actions, such a dangerous situation. No assurances were given – and frankly no empathy shown – when I managed to speak to a junior minister earlier.”
The Home Office needs to ask itself hard questions after today. Doing this on Eid, in the heart of our Muslim community, and in the midst of a serious Covid outbreak was staggeringly irresponsible - but the even deeper problem is an appalling asylum & immigration policy. https://t.co/QpM8dboq7m
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 13, 2021
Sturgeon added that the day when immigration policy is in the Scottish Parliament’s hands “can’t come soon enough” and that the Home Office needs to ask itself “hard questions after today”.
The First Minister wasn’t the only politician to hit out at the actions of the Home Office.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said:“It’s horrific that people have been forced to take such action to defend their most vulnerable neighbours from the brutality of the UK Home Office.The current regime, presided over by the institutionally racist Home Office, is inhumane.
READ MORE: The National: Our message to Unionists on this vile Home Office
“Scotland needs an asylum system worthy of the name, and asylum support provided to a standard that our communities can be proud of.”
Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, joined locals at the protest in solidarity. Speaking to The National at the scene, Thewliss said: “It’s absolutely unacceptable the way in which the Home Office have dragged people out of their houses in the middle of a pandemic, on the day of Eid in Pollokshields, and I’m so proud of everybody who’s come out here to support them as well.
“I’m so proud of residents here for standing up for their neighbours, it’s absolutely a horrible situation but it’s brilliant to see that solidarity.”
Julie Sherry (above), national organiser for Stand Up to Racism, who lives in Pollokshields, said she was horrified by the move by the Home Office.
She said: “In a community like Pollokshields, to have this happen on Eid, especially in a pandemic when people are having such a hard time already, it’s a really special important day for large chunks of this community and instead to essentially be under siege from police out in the streets, with difficulty in being able to worship and not being able to be with family is shocking.
READ MORE: WATCH: Police detain young woman protesting against Home Office raid in Glasgow
“What we’re campaigning against is the hostile environment. Priti Patel, we saw it in the Queen’s speech, they’ve just brought in more legislation that is about demonising and scapegoating people who are seeking asylum, refugees and migrants.
“I think it’s a really divisive thing to be doing at a time when people’s lives are under so much pressure. I think it’s about divide and rule, you know, using racism to blame particular people who are just trying to get on with their lives and live in our communities.”
Ruby Hirsch (above), 28, an activist for Stand Up to Racism, who was one of the first 10 people on the scene, said she was “absolutely shocked” that dawn raids had started up again.
She said: “I’m quite surprised to see it [dawn raids] in the heart of Pollokshields in such a multicultural defiant community, and it’s amazing to see the way the community responded. I think hopefully this will be a clear blow to the strategy that they’re secretly starting up dawn raids again and now we know what they’re up to and they know the community won’t let that happen, it’s brilliant.”
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