Keir Starmer has been urged to end the UK government’s hostile environment policy against refugees amid research revealing the strategy has caused “destitution by design” across Scotland.

Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to tackle Scotland’s hidden “humanitarian crisis” after research found soaring levels of “destitution by design” caused by hostile UK immigration policies.

The Labour government is being urged to act as thousands of people in Scotland, including long-standing members of communities, are being forced into extreme poverty and homelessness.

With Labour focusing on continuing the Conservative strategy of stopping the small boats and clearing the backlog of asylum cases, Sir Keir has been urged to draw up “a fairer, more humane and dignified process for people” to alleviate the crisis for thousands of people, many with no recourse to public funds across Scotland.

Scottish campaigners are hoping Labour’s coming Border, Security, Immigration and Asylum Bill will pave the way for radical reform to the system.

The hostile immigration policies used by the previous Tory UK government were controversial and caused uproar on Kenmure Street in Glasgow in 2021 over attempted asylum evictions, resulting in a stand-off with the local community.

Keir Starmer met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome to talk about her approach to illegal migration (Picture: Phil Noble/WPA pool/Getty Images) | Getty Images

An estimated 2.6 million people live in the UK on visas that give them no recourse to public funds - as well as a large, but unknown number who have no access to funds or services because they are awaiting a decision on their asylum status or have had an application rejected.

Brexit has brought some European nationals living in the UK also under the public funds restrictions, including those resident in the UK before the decision to leave the EU, but who have restricted eligibility for support because they have not secured settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

New research commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, undertaken by Heriot-Watt University, studied those accessing crisis support from Fair Way Scotland network, which includes the Scottish Refugee Council.

Protesters blocked an immigration van amid a 'stand off' over Home Office raid in Glasgow in 2021.

The study found that a staggering 97 per cent of those surveyed were destitute, with an average weekly income of just £40 - while one third reported no income at all in the past month.

Shockingly, 93 per cent were experiencing homelessness, with more than half sleeping rough on Scotland’s streets last year. A total of 55 per cent were in temporary accommodation provided by charities, local authorities or the Home Office.

Labour’s manifesto focused on clearing the backlog in the asylum system and target criminal gangs thought responsible for the small boats crisis. The document contained a pledge to “turn the page and restore order to the asylum system” so that it operates “swiftly, firmly, and fairly and the rules are properly enforced”. The party also vowed to “end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds”.

But the incoming Labour government, led by home secretary Yvette Cooper and asylum minister Angela Eagle, has so far kept quiet over the no recourse for public funds concerns.

Since taking office, Labour has scrapped the Rwanda scheme, announced the closure of the Bibby Stockholm barge and are appear poised to shelf the Illegal Migration Act.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

The no recourse to public funds policy, which was established in 2012, was not mentioned in the party’s election manifesto and speaking in the Commons in July, Dame Angela sidestepped a question on the policy.

Dame Angela claimed “the best way to deal with the issue of destitution” is to “decide asylum claims quickly and accurately” rather than be drawn on changing no recourse to public funds rules.

While Labour binned the Conservatives’ controversial Rwanda scheme for asylum seekers, that was largely over costs and practicalities rather than a moral stance.

Sir Keir caused widespread anger this week over talks with right-wing anti-immigration Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, where the Labour leader praised the country’s “remarkable progress” in tackling illegal immigration and said he was “interested” in her policy to offshore asylum seekers to Albania.

The Scottish Refugee Council will use Labour conference this weekend to urge for action to alleviate the strain on those with no recourse to public funds. The charity will also call for a 28-day deadline for people who have their asylum application approved to find their own accommodation to have it extended to 56 days to stop people falling into homelessness and destitution.

Scottish Refugee Council chief executive Sabir Zazai said he was “encouraged by initial steps” taken by the new UK government.

Scottish Refugee Council CEO Sabir Zazai | PAUL CHAPPELLS

He said: “After years of increasingly hostile and politically-motivated immigration policy, we are relieved to see the end of a regime where the lives of people seeking asylum were treated as collateral damage.

“However, undoing regressive policy is just the start. The real work begins now. And taking inspiration from Italy’s immigration policies is not the way forward. The focus must be on reforming the asylum system to ensure a fairer, more humane and dignified process for people who are here in need of safety and protection.

“We urge the government to focus on establishing safe routes for people seeking asylum, so people don’t have to risk their lives making treacherous journeys in a bid to reach the UK. Crucially, the government must put the people seeking protection at the heart of their decision making.”

Mr Zazai pointed to the new Scots refugee integration strategy his organisation launched in partnership with the Scottish Government and council umbrella body Cosla earlier this year, which sets out a blueprint for helping people settle in Scotland such as access to housing and having their existing qualifications recognised.

Mr Zazai added: “We are urging the UK government to take a similar person-centred approach as they look to rebuild a broken asylum system and replace it with one that not only respects refugees, but recognises the value of their skills, experiences, and culture.”

Recommendations in the new research also call on the Scottish Government to “exercise powers in devolved areas to the fullest extent possible to ensure that all non-UK nationals in Scotland have full access to health, social care, education, social security, transport and housing”.

It calls for SNP ministers to “secure a commitment from [the] UK government not to be challenged in these areas until system-wide issues are addressed”.

The Scottish Government’s renewed case for independence states that “people seeking asylum would have the right to work, have access to employability support and to public assistance through, for example our social security system, reducing the likelihood of destitution”.

An SNP minister told The Scotsman the Government “will continue to do all we can, within devolved powers, to protect communities and support people”.

The Heriot-Watt research found that for those with no recourse to public funds in Scotland going hungry, while surviving without clothing and toiletry basics was the norm, rough sleeping was common.

Professor Beth Watts-Cobbe, from the Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research at Heriot-Watt University, said the situation “amounts to a humanitarian crisis among a group often hidden from public view”.

She said the “counterproductive hostile environment policies” by the UK government “affect thousands of people across Scotland, crushing their potential and creating destitution by design”.

Scottish Refugee Council’s service manager Esther Muchena said: “A modern, humane society has no place for destitution – it strips people of dignity, compromises their health and wellbeing, and puts them at risk of violence and exploitation in order to survive.

“This report shows the devastating reality for many people without refugee protection, though perhaps one that is not talked about as often and is easily misunderstood. Many believe that anyone in the UK can automatically access the benefits system, or even the have the right to work, but this could not be further from the truth.

“People seeking asylum are given £7 a day to cover food, travel, clothing and communications. People who are destitute with no recourse to public funds do not even have that. It is a failed policy that causes immense harm and should be scrapped immediately.”

Ms Muchena added: “Finding out that you’ve been granted refugee protection should be a time to celebrate. People can finally put roots down and plan for the future. However, 28 days is an incredibly short turnaround to find new living arrangements, particularly for refugees who are transitioning out of asylum accommodation.

“People with newly-granted status will not have savings for rental deposits and will struggle to afford many of the up-front costs required in moving. Most of them do not have a support network of friends or family that they can stay with either.

“We want to see the ‘move-on’ period increased to 56 days, which is a much more realistic timeframe to navigate such an important transition.”

Despite the praise on the Scottish Government for its new Scots strategy, the SNP has raised eyebrows of late, scrapping plans to introduce free bus travel for asylum seekers while Ukrainian refugees will now have to pay £3 for their meals, despite having previously been given their dinner for free while in concessionary accommodation.

SNP Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “No one should be forced into destitution, and everyone should have their human rights protected, regardless of their immigration status.

SNP Equalities Minsiter Kaukab Stewart, (Image: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament)

“While immigration is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government will continue to raise the impact that the No Recourse to Public Funds policy has with the UK government.

“We will continue to do all we can, within devolved powers, to protect communities and support people. Through the Ending Destitution Together strategy, we have provided £440,000 to Fair Way Scotland in 2024/25 to support those who are at risk of, or experiencing, destitution.

“I look forward to engaging with the new UK government on the issues and recommendations raised in this evaluation and doing all I can within devolved competence to protect communities and support people.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We understand the need for a transition from asylum accommodation to other housing for individuals granted refugee status.”

Exclusive:The growing pressure to fix Scotland's 'hidden humanitarian crisis'

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