Turning the corner from St Vincent street I see ahead of me the church where the Glasgow Night Shelter is based. It opens every evening, all year round, awaiting the resident asylum seekers. The weather today has been bright and breezy with a few heavy showers.The night shelter opens at 8pm and this evening there are a few asylum seekers standing outside smoking.
I arrive slightly later as I have been at a rendezvous point waiting on a named refugee who has been placed in the shelter from the Red Cross. The location of the Shelter is not allowed to be publicised and so asylum seeker referrals from other agencies have to be met at a pick up point in this case the Mitchell Library.
The people who are looked after at the Night Shelter are refused asylum seekers who are not eligible for support and are homeless, non-EU migrants who because of their immigration status cannot access normal homeless services. Other non-residents with temporary accommodation also arrive at meal time to share in the hot dinner and to check if any mail has arrived so it is very crowded at this time.
This group of people face multiple difficulties; often unable to speak English; without any family or friends who can help them; unable to do paid work; with an insecure immigration status; not knowing their rights and often scared to draw attention to their plight for fear of coming to the attention of the authorities, they are blocked from accessing any support that is funded by public money. Many no longer report to the Home Office because they are afraid of being detained and deported away from their family in the UK so they are wandering around Glasgow and other cities without any contact with the authorities.
On entering the community area of the church I see that two of the volunteers are making a hot meal for the residents in the kitchen and walking down a long dimly lit corridor I arrive at the tv room where there are six people sitting and moving about the room checking mail and eating donated food which has been placed on a trestle table. This room is very cramped with filing cabinets, donated male clothes stacked under the table, a couch, plates and cutlery stacked on shelves and a long fold up table on which the hot pots/trays of this evening's food are placed. Because of the shortage of space most of the asylum seekers eat standing up as there is no room for extra chairs.
Many of the refused asylum seekers are so tired that they come in from the street and go straight to the hall and bed down for the night. There are no shower facilities in this building only toilets. They sleep on the games hall floor on mattresses with no privacy and most sleep in the clothes they are wearing, probably rain wet and needing washed. They are mentally and physically exhausted by the extremely difficult circumstances of trying to exist on a day to day basis with no money and walking around Glasgow from 8am-8pm.
At 11pm lights are out in the sleeping area and the front door is locked. During the night some walk about unable to get to get to sleep and many have their sleep broken by people snoring or calling out in their disturbed sleep coupled with the banging of the hall door as they exit and enter. Ear plugs are supplied.
Morning comes and all residents have be out of the church by 8am.
You can find out more about the work of the Glasgow Night Shelter at:
The Night Shelter web site https://glasgownightshelter.org/
or http://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/support_us