MOTHERS and babies seeking asylum in Scotland have been moved from "shocking" housing – weeks after the Children and Young People’s Commissioner demanded they be relocated.
The office of the Children’s Commissioner published a report in March which found women and their children were living in conditions that posed a significant risk of violating their human rights.
Despite assurances from provider Mears Group in November 2021 that the families would be moved, there were still 12 mums and their babies in the unit in Glasgow’s southside at the end of March.
However, they have all now been relocated to more suitable housing.
After being moved from the unit with her baby, one mum said: “I want to thank everyone who was behind us. I was in the mother and baby unit where the accommodation was not suited for babies and toddlers.
"Now we have been moved, we are in better places, and we are at peace. We are really thankful. We cried every day, and needed someone to listen and support us, and now it’s a big thank you. The accommodation we are in now is good, there’s a lot of space.
“You can play with your baby on the floor, you can see your baby crawl, you can see the baby going from crawling to standing up and starting to walk. All the steps that a child has to develop when they are growing. I’m overwhelmed and I’d like to say a thank you to all the organisations who helped and to Mears for moving us.”
Concerns about the unit had been longstanding, with a visit from the commissioner’s team back in June finding that conditions were cramped and lacked washing and cooking facilities. It had also been reported that cookers and heaters in the rooms were close to babies' cots and that it was not safe to let them play freely.
Nick Hobbs, head of advice and investigations at the Children’s Commissioner, said: “It’s a welcome development that mothers and their babies are now living in housing that is far more suitable for their needs but we are concerned that it took so long.
"We visited the unit last summer and saw for ourselves how shocking the conditions were and we called for the authorities to move the mums and their babies then. We’re pleased that the families have finally been moved but this can’t happen again. We must make sure all refugee and asylum-seeking children are treated with dignity and respect for their human rights.
“No child should live in conditions that violate their human rights and, once again, we are asking the Scottish Government to legislate urgently to create human rights-based statutory minimum housing standards for children.”
Following discussions with the Mears Group, Cosla and the HSPC, the commissioner called for Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Health and Social Care Partnership to withdraw their support for the Home Office and Mears Group’s placements in the unit.
The commissioner’s office also recently criticised the use of hotel and B&B accommodation for asylum-seeking families.
Hobbs added: “Hotel accommodation is wholly unsuitable for children and families and should only be used on a short-term basis in an emergency. It is gravely concerning that children are being left for unacceptable periods of time crammed into hotel rooms and without the financial support they and their families need, leading some to become destitute.
"This is a violation of their human rights with severe impacts on health, education and development that can last long into later childhood and adulthood.”
The Home Office and Mears Group have been contacted for comment.
