Humza Yousaf: Justice Secretary asks for cross party unity as he demands for the immediate devolution of immigration and asylum powers

Humza Yousaf has reached out to Scottish Labour to ask them to back the devolution of immigration and asylum powers to the Scottish Parliament.

In an open letter posted on social media the Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf made the request after Thursday’s Kenmure Street protest, which saw hundreds of people gather on a Glasgow street to stop an immigration van take away one of their neighbours for deportation.

He wrote: “To attempt a forced evictions and removal, in the heart of Scotland’s Muslim community on Eid, demonstrates either the Home Office’s utter incompetence, or was a deliberate attempt to provoke, either way it was completely unacceptable.

"While I am supportive of the action taken by Police Scotland during yesterday’s incident, there clearly needs to be a long-term solution that deals with the root cause, not merely the symptoms.

"The underlying cause if successive UK Government’s draconian immigration an asylum laws.

"The hostile environment created by the Conservatives does not just turn its back on the most vulneravle, often fleeing war and persecution, but proactively seeks to make life miserable for each and every one of them.”

Mr Yousaf went on to invite members of Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Paul Sweeney and Pauline McNeill, who are all representatives for Glasgow, to join the call for immigration powers to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament immediately.

Humza Yousaf: Justice Secretary asks for cross party unity as he demands for the immediate devolution of immigration and asylum powers

The letter claims that Patrick Harvie and his colleagues in the Scottish Greens support this move and adds: “In Scotland there is a broad consensus that we can create an asylum and immigration system that has compassion, not suspicion, at its heart.

"Regardless of our other differences, I would hope that we can agree on this matter.

"It is clear that leaving asylum and immigration in the hands of the UK Government will only pour further misery on the most vulnerable on society.”

A meeting between the politicians has been scheduled for next Friday.

The Kenmure protest ended with the two men in the van being released after an eight hour stand off which saw hundreds of people block UK Immigration Enforcement, with one man lying under the vehicle to stop it from moving.

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