Inquiry demanded into asylum seekers' tower block deaths

A charity has demanded an inquiry into the deaths of three asylum seekers who jumped off a tower block.

The trio, named locally as Serguei Serykh, his wife Tatiana and his stepson, had been living in the Red Road flats in Springburn, Glasgow, when their bodies were found on March 7.

It is understood the three Russian nationals moved to Canada and were granted refugee status in 2005.

They had applied for asylum in the UK after allegations against the Canadian authorities were made by one of the three.

In the letter to the Lord Advocate, the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government, released today, Robina Qureshi, director of Glasgow-based Positive Action in Housing, wrote: "While the asylum population in Glasgow are relatively transient, the problem of long-term destitution, mental illness, despair and hopelessness have been permanent since around 2004 and we have warned previously that things are likely to get worse if not addressed with humanity and understanding.

"I am therefore writing to request that you use the powers available to you as Lord Advocate to instruct a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the deaths on March 7 of Mr Serguei Serykh, his wife Tatiana and their 19-year-old son, Stepan, a family of asylum seekers who sought refuge in the UK.

"Based on our experiences of the way the UK asylum policy operates on Scottish soil, we believe that the Serykh family would still be alive were it not for the way they were treated by the UK asylum system.

"We believe it is in the public interest that a Fatal Accident Inquiry be carried out."

Ms Qureshi wrote to the Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC, yesterday.

Earlier this month, a UK Border Agency spokesman said: "We had advised the family that we were making arrangements to return them to Canada - where they had been granted protection. However, no imminent action to remove them from the UK had been planned.

"No UK Border Agency officers were in the vicinity when these events took place."

The issue was later raised in the Scottish Parliament when Communities Minister Alex Neil gave a positive response to the prospect of councils other than Glasgow housing asylum seekers in Scotland.

Glasgow is the only council in Scotland which provides such accommodation as part of a contract with the UK Border Agency.

Labour`s Lord Foulkes said: "This results in a huge burden on Glasgow Council and also difficulties for refugees, as sadly we`ve seen recently.

"Earlier this week I raised Lord West, the Home Office minister in another capacity, if he would discuss with other local authorities in Scotland perhaps taking on the responsibilities, of sharing the responsibility, for asylum seekers which would also give them more choice."

He called on Mr Neil to take this up with councils and ask them "to re-enter into discussions with the Home Office through the Border Agency so that there can be some easing of the burden of responsibility on Glasgow City council".

The call met with a positive response from the Communities Minister.

"I think George Foulkes makes a valid point," he said.

"I am appreciative of the initiative he`s taken with Lord West and I`m happy to raise the issue at the next regular meeting with (local authorities group) Cosla to see if something more can be done on this issue."

Acclaimed writer AL Kennedy, who is based in Glasgow, spoke out today in support of the call for a fatal accident inquiry.

The author said: "Isolating anyone in their vulnerable and traumatised positions in somewhere like the Red Road flats - surrounded by threats rather than support - is the equivalent of leaving a man in despair alone in a room with a loaded gun.

"Eventually he may well remove the 'problem' of his existence without troubling you further.

"The very least that Scotland can do now is to carry out a thorough inquiry into the suicides and their causes."