The Herald: Campaigners trying to ease the plight of asylum seekers

CAMPAIGNERS looking to ease the plight of asylum seekers and prevent families with children being held at Dungavel immigration centre yesterday met for a summit at the Scottish Parliament.The Scottish Socialist party group booked the main committee room for the meeting attended by immigration groups, church representatives and several families who are currently bailed out of Dungavel and live with supporters.Rosie Kane, the MSP who has one such family living in her home, said the problem was that a small number of activists had become so heavily involved in the plight of the growing numbers of such families that they were being overwhelmed.She said a wider network of volunteers, activists and helpers had to be built up. Yesterday's meeting had been arranged at very short notice and as a result a number of other groups, such as the STUC and several major trade unions, had been unable to attend but said they would be prepared to become involved in the future.Among those present was Graham Blount, the Scottish Churches parliamentary officer, who said: "We were happy to participate because the churches are heavily involved at a general level in this issue and share many of the concerns of others, so we are looking to develop our role."He pointed to the way the churches had backed the Refugee Scotland Project for community-based hostels as an alternative to Dungavel. Mr Blount said the shared view of those at yesterday's meeting was that a broader network of organisations and individuals had to become involved in assisting asylum seekers to share the burden.