Teenagers to petition Blair over asylum

A GROUP of teenagers campaigning to bring an end to dawn raids and win better rights for asylum seekers have said that they will petition the Prime Minister for change.

The Glasgow Girls have been calling for an end to dawn raids for the past two years, but claim that despite their campaign, the plight of young asylum seekers has not improved.

The group was established while the girls were pupils at Drumchapel High School in Glasgow, highlighting the struggle faced by the likes of the Vucaj family, who were forced to return to Kosovo despite living in Scotland for many years.

But seven of the girls, two of whom are still at risk of deportation, said they were saddened that despite having met and received cross-party support from MPs, MSPs and the First Minister Jack McConnell, young people were still being detained in what they claimed were "inhuman conditions".

One of the campaigners, Emma Clifford, said: "

We've written to the Prime Minister, but now I think it's time for a meeting."