GROUPS working to support refugees across Scotland have spoken of the need for "unity, dignity and compassion" amid a rise in threats made against them.
Many organisations have reported receiving threats – either directed at them or the individuals they support – in recent months.
The National spoke with groups in Aberdeen, Falkirk and Glasgow, which have received such threats, about the vital work they do.
Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC)
Based in Aberdeen, GREC has been working for the last 40 years to promote equality and tackle prejudice across the North East region.
Founded in 1984, GREC began as an organisation helping a small Vietnamese community in Aberdeen, before expanding to support a range of ethnic minorities as more people came to the area.
Tomás Pizarro-Escuti, a rights reps project officer caseworker at GREC, stressed the importance of such an organisation being based in the North East.
He told The National that while Aberdeen is the second largest asylum dispersal area in Scotland – with Glasgow being the first – there were gaps in support being offered for people seeking asylum in the area, both in terms of UK Government-funded support and accommodation, as well as a lack of affordable and qualified legal advice in the city.
"Unfortunately, most services are based in the Central Belt. At this moment, we're one of the only organisations that is offering in-person support to migrants [in the region] to increase rights awareness and access qualified legal advice," Pizarro-Escuti (below) told The National.
"The Home Office should be conducting these things in Aberdeen, where people are being processed."
While GREC is working to plug that gap in resources, Pizarro-Escuti added that in recent months the group has received several credible safety threats.
Individuals accessing the services have also reported receiving direct threats, including verbal abuse, physical threats and threats to life.
"It's madness," he told The National. "It's not normal that in a country you have these extremely vulnerable people getting life threats. I've been in Scotland for nine years and I've never seen this."
He added that his job at GREC was "tremendously rewarding", as he said: "I feel like I am making a positive difference in society. It's nice to see that in Scotland, we're giving a safe space for people who have been through so many horrible experiences.
"The idea that these are lazy people who are coming here to claim benefits, it's complete nonsense. They just really want to be part of society, and above all they want to feel safe. They're here because they're looking for sanctuary."
Friends of Scottish Settlers (FOSS)
FOSS began in Falkirk in 2016 as a way for local volunteers to support Syrian refugees arriving to the area, but has since grown to include a wide range of people – from Ukrainian arrivals to individuals navigating the asylum system.
It is a "befriending" organisation, meaning volunteers pair people with locals who are able to give support and advice, as well as ensuring people have access to local services such as public transport.
The group's efforts are also focused towards helping asylum seekers who are being housed by the Home Office at a nearby hotel, providing them with basic essentials such as clothing and shoes which they would otherwise not have.
Sarah Stewart – the first employee hired at FOSS – said the group helped asylum seekers take their "first steps" upon arriving in Falkirk.
"We visit weekly, at least, and we have activities where we go out with people to make sure they're getting out of their accommodation. If people have an appointment and are apprehensive, we find a volunteer to help them go out, or fill out forms."
Stewart added that Falkirk lacks "the ecosystems of support" in other areas such as Glasgow and Edinburgh, leading other local groups to step in and help support asylum seekers.
"We're trying to nurture this community of organisations of people within Falkirk to be able to provide the support but also understanding – how reaching this group of people is a benefit to everybody," she said.
Stewart expressed a "deep sense of shame" at the recent protests which have taken place outside the hotel housing asylum seekers in Falkirk.
"When I go to the hotel, it's as if I am visiting people in their home. The respect and dignity that is shown to me by normal people, and what I would receive from ordinary people if I were to go to the places where they were from – it's so different to what they are experiencing here.
"We can do better, it's about cultivating that tradition of hospitality that exists in Scotland."
Springburn Unity Network
This charity was founded in 2021 in the Springburn area of Glasgow by Shawn Nicholas Fernandez and Mala Jayhindaran – two former asylum seekers who met while studying community development at Glasgow Kelvin College.
Upon graduating, the pair decided to formalise the work they had been doing during their placement, following calls from service users to create a fully-fledged network.
"We faced a lot of racism when we came here as asylum seekers and refugees, that's why we established this," Nicholas Fernandez told The National.
"We thought we needed to really focus on diversity, on having that conversation and having a safe space to promote unity."
Jayhindaran added: "Even though we face a lot of racism, we face hate crimes, all these incidents – this is the reason we studied and observed how we can help the vulnerable, especially international students and people who are migrating here."
Many of the network's service users have reported being impacted by the rise in tensions against migrant communities in Scotland.
Nicholas Fernandez said: "We have a few group members who are scared to come nowadays to our activities or to come out from their house because of what's going on. They say they're afraid they might be attacked.
He added that it was important in such times to have "compassion, empathy and humility".
"Our greatest identity is not where we come from, but how we connect with the world," he told The National.
"We need to uphold our human values, we always need to have compassion and peace in our hearts."
