Stopping the new planned detention centre near Glasgow

By: Kevin Smith
Date: 7 November 2016

The UK Home Office plans to build a new Detention Centre in Renfrewshire, next to Glasgow airport. The Conservative government’s proposal has been met with widespread criticism from human rights charities and members of the Scottish government, as well as fierce opposition from communities in Paisley and Glasgow.

As Stop Detention Scotland, we oppose this new detention centre and are campaigning to make sure it doesn’t get built.

This new “rapid removal centre” near Glasgow Airport in Paisley will have a “7 day turnaround” for those detained. This means people detained in Scotland will likely be transferred to other UK removal centres, far from their families, friends, legal advisors and support networks, or simply removed via a London airport. It will be much more difficult for those detained in Scotland to exercise their right to appeal and to properly challenge their deportation.

For now, we are focused on blocking the proposal at the local council level. As the council have yet to grant planning permission, this is a crucial time to lobby the councillors involved in the decision. We are encouraging everybody to lodge objections with the council. (Instructions for doing this here.) So far, 280 objections have been posted! If you’re local to Renfrewshire or from the Glasgow area, we would also suggest contacting your councillor by phone. We need to keep the pressure on!

The council are afraid of the threat of protest. We have planned a demonstration, outside the planning committee meeting tomorrow in Paisley town centre. We will make it clear to the council how many of us will turn up and say NO to this new detention centre.

This a chance for the people of Scotland and the Scottish government to affect the UK Home Office’s brutal immigration practises. This is a crucial time to send a message that Scotland does not want detention in any form, that no person is illegal.

Find us on Facebook and keep an eye on our website for updates and ways to get involved.