Campaigners demand enquiry over refugee family suicide

Prayers have been said in Glasgow following the news of the tragic suicide of three asylum seekers on Sunday. Campaigners believe the three were a father, mother and son, from the former Soviet Union, who may have been refused permission to stay in this country and had also had just been told they had to leave their accommodation.

Robina Qureshi, Director of Positive Action in Housing, a Scottish charity which works with local community and faith groups to support refugees and asylum seekers, said: "This case raises serious questions about the way the UK asylum system operates in this country. Members of the public have a right to know if we have a fair asylum system, or one which terrorises vulnerable people to the point they would kill themselves."

“We believe that there should be a public enquiry into these deaths.

"We ask that the UK Borders Agency issue an immediate statement about the suicides. In particular, we want to know:

a) Did the UK Borders Agency recently communicate with the three suicide victims over their asylum case.

b) Were UK Borders Agency Removal Officials knocking at the door of the three suicide victims 63 Petershill Drive, Springburn on Sunday morning when the suicides took place?

c) Have the relatives of the deceased been informed? What plans does the UKBA have to remove their bodies to their countries of origin? (We are concerned about this because we are aware of cases where the bodies of dead asylum seekers have been left frozen in mortuaries for years without proper burial arrangements in their home countries.)

Robina Qureshi said she had spoken with neighbours who had reported seeing a blonde woman and two men in the flat on Saturday. Visiting the scene of the suicides on Monday morning, she said: "It was particularly chilling to see the dent in the ground left where their bodies had fallen, " she said.