Refugees in Scotland ‘living in fear’ after riots

People in Scotland’s asylum system live in ‘constant fear’ days of violent riots In other parts of the UK, the chief executive of the Scottish Refugee Council said.

Sabir Zazai told BBC Scotland News that some people in the communities his organisation works with were afraid to come out.

The BBC has learned that some groups have planned protests and counter-protests north of the border in the coming weeks.

Police Scotland said any disturbance would be “identified quickly” and “addressed immediately”.

Strength dismissed speculation about a protest earlier in George Square in Glasgow.

Mr Zazai spoke after a meeting with faith leaders and First Minister John Swinney at Bute House.

On Tuesday, former Prime Minister Humza Yousaf, a Muslim, he said he was asking questions whether he and his family have a future in Scotland or the UK because of Islamophobia.

Mr Zazai said there was “a lot of anxiety and uncertainty” among the communities the Scottish Refugee Council works with.

“These people are already afraid, they have fled terrible situations,” he said.

“We don’t want them to be re-traumatized.”

The charity’s director said Scotland had been “fortunate” not to have seen riots, but warned that “nowhere is safe from racism”.

He told BBC Scotland News: “Yesterday someone was living in an asylum hotel and wondering whether they should stay in the hotel or whether they should leave?

“We had other people concerned about their well-being, people who couldn’t get to appointments with their lawyers or get advice from us and others.

“All this must be avoided and it should not happen. People should not feel this insecurity and fear on our streets.”

Counter-protests have been organised in Scotland after far-right activist Tommy Robinson posted about a “pro-UK” rally taking place in Glasgow’s George Square next month.

The founder of the English Defence League, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had previously promoted false allegations about the Southport striker.

Mr Zazai said misinformation about the violent riots “is harmful to everyone”.

The Muslim Council of Scotland said he had “complete confidence” that police protection in Scotland is sufficiently strong following the unrest elsewhere.

Mr Swinney said he was “very concerned” about the riots in other parts of the UK.

After meeting with Scottish faith leaders and political party leaders, the First Minister said they wanted to send a message of solidarity, adding: “Violence plays no part in our society, the Islamophobia that we have seen has no place in our society and we must come together to represent cohesive communities in Scotland.”

Mr Swinney also met Chief Constable Jo Farrell and Deputy Chief Constable Gary Ritchie in Edinburgh.

Police Scotland’s deputy chief constable Gary Ritchie said they understood there were concerns about unrest in other parts of the UK and the force was carrying out “enhanced patrols and direct engagement” to reassure communities.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that any risk of violence or disorder in Scotland is identified quickly and dealt with immediately,” he said.

“We are aware of a number of potential protests and counter-protests over the coming weeks, which will be monitored appropriately, but we will not speculate or publicize individual potential events.

“I also encourage everyone to be responsible in their use of social media and not share speculation or inaccurate information.”

More than 400 people have been arrested and 100 charged in connection with violent scenes in towns including Rotherham, Middlesbrough and Bolton over the weekend.

Further disturbances took place in London, Plymouth and Belfast.

In Tamworth, Staffordshire, a hotel used to house people in the asylum system has been targeted by rioters using incendiary bombs and fireworks.

The violence followed the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport. The unrest that followed was fuelled by misinformation on the internet about the attacker.