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| Plan for immigration removal centre near Glasgow airport rejected Plan for immigration removal centre near Glasgow airport rejected | |
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| The Home Office has been refused planning permission to build a rapid removal centre for asylum seekers near Glasgow airport after almost 300 objections were lodged with the local council. | The Home Office has been refused planning permission to build a rapid removal centre for asylum seekers near Glasgow airport after almost 300 objections were lodged with the local council. |
| The planning application was overwhelmingly rejected by Renfrewshire council’s planning board on Tuesday afternoon. | The planning application was overwhelmingly rejected by Renfrewshire council’s planning board on Tuesday afternoon. |
| Local politicians and campaigners had criticised plans for the new short-term facility to replace Dungavel immigration removal centre in Lanarkshire, raising concerns that vulnerable asylum seekers risked being funnelled out of Scotland and away from family, friends and legal representation. | Local politicians and campaigners had criticised plans for the new short-term facility to replace Dungavel immigration removal centre in Lanarkshire, raising concerns that vulnerable asylum seekers risked being funnelled out of Scotland and away from family, friends and legal representation. |
| Robert Goodwill, the immigration minister, said at the beginning of September that Dungavel, which has been condemned as “barbaric and inhumane” and been the focus of numerous protests, will shut late next year. | Robert Goodwill, the immigration minister, said at the beginning of September that Dungavel, which has been condemned as “barbaric and inhumane” and been the focus of numerous protests, will shut late next year. |
| Kenny MacLaren, the deputy leader of Renfrewshire council’s Scottish National party group and one of the local councillors for the proposed location of the new centre, told the Guardian there had been unanimous and cross-party opposition to the application. | Kenny MacLaren, the deputy leader of Renfrewshire council’s Scottish National party group and one of the local councillors for the proposed location of the new centre, told the Guardian there had been unanimous and cross-party opposition to the application. |
| He said: “There were clear planning grounds to reject this application, never mind the moral case for rejecting this application.” | He said: “There were clear planning grounds to reject this application, never mind the moral case for rejecting this application.” |
| “A full list of objections will be prepared and given to the applicant including the negative economic impact this proposal would have on the airport and surrounding area. There was also no specific need for this site to be used as claimed by the applicant. Detainees weren’t to be frogmarched to the airport, so vans or buses would be used, meaning that any site could be used.” | “A full list of objections will be prepared and given to the applicant including the negative economic impact this proposal would have on the airport and surrounding area. There was also no specific need for this site to be used as claimed by the applicant. Detainees weren’t to be frogmarched to the airport, so vans or buses would be used, meaning that any site could be used.” |
| MacLaren, who had a number of constituents approach him with their concerns about the facility, said a total of 297 objections had been lodged by a combination of local residents and campaigning organisations such as Positive Action in Housing, an independent homelessness charity that supports people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. | MacLaren, who had a number of constituents approach him with their concerns about the facility, said a total of 297 objections had been lodged by a combination of local residents and campaigning organisations such as Positive Action in Housing, an independent homelessness charity that supports people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. |
| The Home Office can consider the reasons for refusal and appeal to the Scottish government, if it chooses to. | The Home Office can consider the reasons for refusal and appeal to the Scottish government, if it chooses to. |
| A spokesperson said the department was “considering our next steps”. | A spokesperson said the department was “considering our next steps”. |
| “We are disappointed by the decision of the planning committee. A new short-term holding facility in Scotland would provide a modern and secure facility for those with no right to be in the UK and would allow for the closure of Dungavel immigration removal centre,” the spokesperson said. | “We are disappointed by the decision of the planning committee. A new short-term holding facility in Scotland would provide a modern and secure facility for those with no right to be in the UK and would allow for the closure of Dungavel immigration removal centre,” the spokesperson said. |
| As the Home Office sought to build the short-term airport facility, where individuals could only be held for a limited period, groups including the Scottish Refugee Council, Amnesty International and Detention Action said they were worried it would result in asylum detainees being taken away from their support networks. | As the Home Office sought to build the short-term airport facility, where individuals could only be held for a limited period, groups including the Scottish Refugee Council, Amnesty International and Detention Action said they were worried it would result in asylum detainees being taken away from their support networks. |
| There is no long-term centre north of Lincolnshire, so those removed from Scotland will be a number of hours’ drive away from friends and family. They will also face jurisdictional difficulties as they find themselves under a different legal system. This means they may need to abandon any pending legal challenges in the Scottish courts and find new representation in England. | There is no long-term centre north of Lincolnshire, so those removed from Scotland will be a number of hours’ drive away from friends and family. They will also face jurisdictional difficulties as they find themselves under a different legal system. This means they may need to abandon any pending legal challenges in the Scottish courts and find new representation in England. |
| Kate Alexander, the director of the charity Scottish Detainee Visitors, has previously told the Guardian there is little evidence to show that short-term facilities led to people being removed more quickly. The most recent figures for Larne House, Northern Ireland’s short-term holding facility, showed 44% of inmates were moved to another detention centre. | Kate Alexander, the director of the charity Scottish Detainee Visitors, has previously told the Guardian there is little evidence to show that short-term facilities led to people being removed more quickly. The most recent figures for Larne House, Northern Ireland’s short-term holding facility, showed 44% of inmates were moved to another detention centre. |
| She added that, in contrast with longer-term facilities, short-term units operated with no equivalent rules regarding the protection of inmates, resulting in concerns about conditions and, in particular, the treatment of women. | She added that, in contrast with longer-term facilities, short-term units operated with no equivalent rules regarding the protection of inmates, resulting in concerns about conditions and, in particular, the treatment of women. |