Poor conditions at Glasgow housing pose risk of human rights violations to asylum seeking mums’ and babies, report finds

The office of the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland says that the poor conditions pose a significant risk of violating their human rights.

The report found that despite assurances from the Mears Group - which provides and manages homes for local and central government - in November 2021, many women and their children have not been moved to more suitable housing.

They are currently placed in bedsit accommodation in Glasgow’s Southside.

Mears says the Mother and Baby unit was designed at a time when it had a ‘significant’ number of people to support, and that those remaining in the facility are being moved to alternative accommodation in the next month.

What were the complaints?

The Commissioner and his staff heard from mothers that there is no space to feed their babies, limited washing and cooking facilities, and little support. Cookers and heaters in the rooms are close to babies’ cots and it’s not safe to let them play, crawl, or stand.

The report states that these conditions pose a significant risk of violating the children’s human rights, including the right to survival, safety and development; an adequate standard of living; the best possible health; family life, and the right to play.

In April 2021, charities and grassroots organisations raised human rights concerns about the unit, formerly used to house single men. In June, the Commissioner’s team visited the accommodation and met mums and their children.

Following discussions with the Mears Group, COSLA, and the HSPC, the Commissioner called for the mothers and babies to be rehoused and for Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and the HSCP to withdraw their support for the Home Office and Mears Group’s placements in the unit.

‘My child isn’t safe’

A mum who lives in the unit with her child said: “The worst part is knowing my child isn’t safe. I’m in a new country, a new mum, and I don’t have support. I worry about my child far more than I worry about myself.”

Nick Hobbs, head of Advice and Investigations at the Children and Young People’s Commissioner, said: “I was shocked when the mothers in the unit showed me the conditions they are living in with their babies. This accommodation is totally unsuitable for mothers and babies, particularly those who have the added vulnerability of seeking asylum.

“Asylum accommodation is a reserved matter to Westminster, but use of this unit has been approved by Glasgow City Council and the health board. Scottish public bodies have human rights obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and must ensure that all their decisions are consistent with the UNCRC. They could have withheld or withdrawn support and advocated for more suitable accommodation.

“We must make sure all refugee and asylum-seeking children are treated with dignity and respect for their human rights. No child should live in conditions that violate their human rights and the Scottish Government should legislate urgently to create human rights-based statutory minimum housing standards for children.”

Mr Hobbs added: “We want the Mears Group to urgently relocate all the mothers and babies in this unit to suitable accommodation in Glasgow. They must also be given the support they need for that relocation and helped to integrate into their new communities. We also want the council, the health board, and HSPC to make a commitment to not approve asylum accommodation for children that violates their human rights.”

Graham O’Neill, policy manager at Scottish Refugee Council, said: “We echo the Commissioner’s call for the women and children to be moved urgently to proper accommodation that is safe and fit for their needs as new mothers, babies and toddlers.

“Too often, people’s needs are forgotten or neglected within the asylum system. Unfortunately, we are seeing inappropriate and substandard housing being used more often, including long-term stays in what should be very temporary accommodation and an increase in institutional settings such as hotel rooms and army barracks. This is completely inappropriate for people who have fled violent conflicts and are living with the ongoing effects of trauma.”

How has Mears responded?

A spokesperson for Mears said: “The Mother and Baby unit was purpose designed with the advice of the local authority and NHS at a time when we had a significant number of mothers and babies to support and did not have suitable accommodation. Our aim was to provide a good standard of accommodation and enhanced wrap around support for mothers and their children.

“There are now less service users with babies or who are pregnant and this has enabled us to reduce the use of the facility. We will move the remaining service users to suitable alternative accommodation over the next month and will then review the future use of the facility.

“We acknowledge the concerns raised by the Children's Commissioner’s report, however these findings do not reflect our intentions around the use of the facility, or the feedback we have had from statutory bodies, which has generally been positive.”

What are the recommendations?

Following the report, the Commissioner recommends that:

- All mother and babies in the unit are urgently relocated

- COSLA and partners must amend procedures to ensure human rights duties of statutory agencies

- The Scottish Government should legislate to create human rights-based statutory minimum housing standards for children

- Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and the HSCP must commit to not approving any asylum accommodation for children that violates their human rights

How has Glasgow City Council responded?

A council spokeswoman said: “It is not the case that the council or Health and Social Care Partnership have given this unit ‘full-approval’.

“We do not have a role as the contractual arrangement exists between Mears and the Home Office. Whilst Covid has caused delays in moving mothers to date, we understand the remaining mothers in the unit will be moved in to alternative accommodation by the end of April.”