Scottish Government urged to think again on asylum seeker bus travel U-turn

22 Aug 2024
Transport

The commitment for free bus travel for people seeking asylum must be restored.

The Scottish Greens have called for the First Minister to reconsider his government’s decision to halt the introduction of free bus travel for people seeking asylum. 

The policy, which was dropped this week, was originally secured by the Scottish Greens in October 2023. The commitment followed a long cross-party campaign by refugee-rights organisations and a successful pilot programme in Glasgow.  

The party’s transport spokesperson, Mark Ruskell, and equalities spokesperson, Maggie Chapman, have written to the First Minister urging him to think again.

The letter from the two Scottish Green MSPs says: “The Scottish Government does not have the power to build its own asylum and protection system. But we do have the ability – and the responsibility – to use what powers we have to support those who have come to Scotland in search of protection.

“The extension of free bus travel to people seeking asylum was exactly that. We aimed to use the powers we do have to mitigate the devastating impact of a hostile asylum system built on racist policies.

“Over the past month, we have seen some of the worst examples of far-right violence in the UK for years. People seeking asylum have been specifically targeted in their homes, threatened, and attacked.

“So, it is deeply ironic that precisely at the time we should be ramping up our offer of support and care to those seeking protection, the Scottish Government has decided to roll back on this commitment.

“We are devastated that this policy has been axed and are deeply concerned about the impact this will have on people seeking asylum in Scotland.”

The Scottish Government has yet to issue a formal announcement on the decision.

Full text of the letter from Mark Ruskell and Maggie Chapman to the First Minister

22nd August 2024

Dear First Minister

Free Bus Travel for People Seeking Asylum

We are writing to you to express our serious concerns about the Scottish Government’s recent decision to drop its promise to extend free bus travel to people seeking asylum in Scotland.

In October 2023, the Scottish Government committed £2m from the 2024/2025 budget to deliver on this important and life-changing promise. The commitment came following a successful cross-party campaign led by refugee rights organisations and was negotiated as part of the cooperation agreement between the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Government.

At the time, the Scottish Government was very clear – it wholeheartedly supported the principle of extending free bus travel to people seeking asylum. It was integrated into the broader New Scots Strategy and understood as a key policy lever to help mitigate the devastating impacts of hostile environment policies orchestrated by the UK Government.

For the past ten months, refugee rights organisations, community groups and those currently in the asylum system have been waiting patiently for updates from the Scottish Government on how this commitment would be delivered.

A working group was set up with representatives from expert organisations to help design the best way forward. Responses to letters and parliamentary questions from ourselves remained positive, stating that work was ongoing to identify the best way to roll out free bus travel to those seeking asylum.

Therefore, the reported announcement by the Minister for Equalities Kaukab Stewart on the 19th August 2024 to cancel this commitment came as a big surprise. People seeking asylum are forced into abject poverty. They are not allowed to work. They are forced to survive on barely £50 a week to meet all essential living needs. Those living in hotels are surviving on barely £8 a week for all essentials beyond meals. Many are stuck in completely inappropriate housing, isolated from local communities, and vulnerable to harassment and intimidation from an emboldened far right.

The Scottish Government does not have the power to build its own asylum and protection system. But we do have the ability – and the responsibility – to use what powers we have to support those who have come to Scotland in search of protection.

The extension of free bus travel to people seeking asylum was exactly that. We aimed to use the powers we do have to mitigate the devastating impact of a hostile asylum system built on racist policies.

Over the past month, we have seen some of the worst examples of far-right violence in the UK for years. People seeking asylum have been specifically targeted in their homes, threatened, and attacked.

So, it is deeply ironic that precisely at the time we should be ramping up our offer of support and care to those seeking protection, the Scottish Government has decided to roll back on this commitment.

We are devastated that this policy has been axed and are deeply concerned about the impact this will have on people seeking asylum in Scotland.

We are frustrated at the disrespect this shows to refugee rights organisations that have given countless hours of time, expertise, and energy to support the Scottish Government’s development of this policy.

We are concerned that there still appears to be no formal public announcement from the Scottish Government about the decision to axe the policy or the rationale behind it.

And we are worried about what this decision says about the Scottish Government’s commitment to support New Scots to rebuild their lives here in Scotland.

Given the months of promises and restatements of its commitment to this policy, this U-turn will likely generate distrust and resentment towards the Scottish Government and Parliament. It reflects badly on us as politicians and policy makers at a time when we should be working to build trust with marginalised communities.

We want to build and live in a country which welcomes everyone who chooses to make Scotland their home. So, we urge you to immediately restore the Scottish Government’s commitment to expand free bus travel to people seeking asylum.