Anas Sarwar warns 'disturbing' SNP plan to support refugees would play into Nigel Farage's hands
Anas Sarwar has issued a warning over crating a two-tier homelessness system in Scotland that would be jumped on by Reform UK
Anas Sarwar has warned a “disturbing” suggestion by the SNP for new refugees in Glasgow to receive a financial package to prevent them falling into homelessness would play into the hands of Nigel Farage.
The Scottish Labour leader warned the proposal would essentially create a two-tier system of homelessness and add to “community tensions” over immigration in the city.
Mr Sarwar’s remarks came as he doubled down on his pledge to eradicate rough sleeping if he becomes first minister at next year’s Holyrood election, claiming a lack of ambition and action from the SNP government has held back progress.
Mr Sarwar defended the Labour UK government’s hard-line immigration strategy that critics have claimed is pandering to Mr Farage’s Reform UK party, which has garnered support across the UK.
READ MORE: SNP defends 'strong' rights making Glasgow magnet for homeless refugees and costing extra £40m
Glasgow City Council has blamed a homelessness crisis on the Home Office’s asylum policies, which it claims are allowing newly granted refugees to fall into destitution. Refugees have just 28 days to leave UK government-funded accommodation and find a home.
SNP leaders at Holyrood and Glasgow City Council have previously criticised the Home Office for failing to engage over the issue, including then asylum minister Angela Eagle snubbing a summit in the city in March.
Last month, SNP Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Sommerville, suggested that the Home Office should put forward funding to prevent new refugees from falling into homelessness.
She said it was “vital that the Home Office provides those who are most in need of support with the proper assistance to start to rebuild their lives”.
But Mr Sarwar has warned such a policy would play into the hands of Reform.
He said: “The impression they are giving is that when someone is approved on their asylum or refugee application, a financial premium should be attached to that individual to help them get a home.
“I think that would sound very disturbing to many people who are in this country, who are struggling to find a home, who are on a big social waiting list. I think that would inadvertently only add to community tensions and give the wrong impression.
“The housing market is broken for everybody. We’ve got to make sure we are fixing the housing market for everybody so we're not ending up with politicians who want a broken system to pull our communities apart.”
Speaking to the BBC, SNP Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan accused the UK government of working through the asylum backlog “far too quickly without appropriate support” for those who need it, who are “doomed to become homeless”.
She added: “Ultimately we need the Home Office to organise their asylum policy properly so that it’s not creating this imbalance in our local authorities.”
Asked by The Scotsman about the failure to move the dial on homelessness and rough sleeping in Scotland, Mr Sarwar insisted that “it is not beyond the ability or ambition of Scotland to eradicate rough sleeping”.
He added: “We’ve got a challenge with homelessness, we have to build more homes, we’ve got to get more affordable homes and we’ve got to get derelict homes into use.
“But I think, honestly, rough sleeping in Scotland can be eradicated in Scotland very quickly and almost immediately. But it requires partnership between the Scottish Government, local councils and also, to be honest, local businesses to end the horrible practice of people sleeping rough on our streets.”
The Scottish Labour leader suggested that “a lack of ambition and hard work” has “held us back”.
He added: “I think if we had government ministers working as hard as the population of this country, I think we’d be a lot further forward down the track.”
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