Keir Starmer should take concerns about housing asylum seekers in Inverness barracks seriously

SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Scottish Government had “raised our concerns about the suitability of the site”; Scottish Conservative MSP Edward Mountain said the “back-of-a-fag-packet idea to house asylum seekers in Cameron Barracks will alarm people in Inverness”; and local MSP Fergus Ewing said people were “especially concerned for safety of women and girls”.

Inverness Liberal Democrat MP Angus MacDonald said Cameron Barracks was “surrounded by housing and only a ten-minute walk to the High Street”. “There is a risk that this causes major upheaval in the city centre,” he added.

Even Shaun Fraser, Labour’s candidate for Inverness and Nairn in next year’s Scottish Parliament election, described the plan as “a bizarre one”, while blaming the previous Conservative government for allowing the number of unprocessed asylum cases to mount up.

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Demonising refugees

Speaking to The Scotsman, Keir Starmer said the government was working to get people out of expensive hotels and to process claims more quickly “to get people out of the country where they've got no right to be here” – both good ideas.

“We were left with a complete mess by the Conservatives, who left tens of thousands of asylum seekers who hadn't been processed. So that means they couldn't be removed if they had no right to be here,” he said.

Until this task is completed, it is a simple fact that the people involved need somewhere to stay. Cameron Barracks might not be an ideal choice, but then again Labour may have few other options. In the current climate, it seems few communities would welcome asylum seekers.

It should be remembered that, despite those who would demonise refugees as criminals or sex offenders, such cases as exist represent a small minority. The vast majority are genuine asylum seekers who have fled war and oppressive regimes like the Taliban.

But, as ever, the government must take local feelings seriously and work to address their concerns. Any policy without popular support can backfire badly on those who try to pursue it.