On the morning of 13 May 2021, two Sikh men of Indian origin living on Kenmure Street in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow were taken from their home and detained by the Home Office in a van on the street for alleged immigration violations. In response, neighbours and advocates organized a sit-in protest and surrounded the van for eight hours, during which time Police Scotland became involved, until they were released. Immigration advocates criticised the detainment of long-term residents in the community. In addition, the timing of the raid came under scrutiny as it was conducted on the dawn of Eid in a diverse neighborhood with a high concentration of Muslim residents and during the transition of government following the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. The protests also led to a broader debate over whether Scotland should be subject to the United Kingdom's immigration policies, particularly the Home Office hostile environment policy, and statements in support of Scottish independence.
Background
editSome claim that there is a tension between the Scottish government and the Home Office regarding "dawn raids". Glasgow is the only "dispersal city" in Scotland for asylum seekers, and in 2005, the Glasgow Girls formed their group to campaign against dawn raids.[1][2] Starting in the 2010s, the Home Office hostile environment policy has created further tension, with the Scottish National Party, the ruling party of the devolved Scottish Parliament since 2007, proposing that immigration to the country should be another power devolved to Scottish authorities.[2]
The two men detained, Sumit Sehdev and Lakhvir Singh, were Sikhs and Indian nationals in their thirties who had, at the time of the protest, lived in Scotland for ten years but had not been granted leave to remain.[3][4] The area they live in, Pollokshields, is a home to a large Sikh and Muslim community,[5] located in the Glasgow Southside constituency, which is the constituency of then First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon and considered the most ethnically diverse in Scotland.[6]
Events
editThe two men were originally detained around 09:00–09:30 in the morning. Word spread quickly about the situation, which The Guardian attributed to local activist networks, and eventually hundreds of people had surrounded the van.[1][7] One man, nicknamed "van man" by some outlets, crawled under the van and stayed under it for the duration of the protest to stop it from moving.[1][8][9] By 10am, enough protestors had surrounded the van that Police Scotland had to be called in to manage the situation.[10] After being detained for eight hours, the two men were released at 5pm on the request of Police Scotland to restore order and protect the well-being of the protestors and detainees. The men were escorted to a nearby mosque, with crowds following them, where they were let go.[11][12]
Reactions
editSturgeon and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar expressed deep concern about the raids.[7] Humza Yousaf, the Justice Secretary, criticised the Home Office for its "reckless action" and timing, and initiated cross-party communications to create an alliance against the UK's migration policies, which he deemed "draconian".[13] The raid occurring on Eid al-Fitr in a community with many Muslim residents was perceived rather negatively, with Sturgeon calling it "staggeringly irresponsible".[14]
The next day, the Home Office described the protestors as a "mob"; in response, a doorstep vigil against the Home Office's action was planned on 15 May by local activists.[15] Positive Action in Housing, a charity that supports migrants, announced plans to sue the Home Office over the raid.[16]
Howard Beckett, the assistant secretary-general of Unite the Union, made a controversial tweet stating that Home Secretary Priti Patel "should be deported" instead of refugees for her immigration policy decisions; he deleted the tweet and was suspended from Labour.[17]
The Home Office responded by stating that it was "tackling illegal immigration and the harm it causes, often to the most vulnerable people".[17]
Pro-independence publication The National ran the headline "Glasgow 1, 'Team UK' 0".[18] Nationalist columnist Neil Mackay, writing for The Herald, wrote an opinion piece claiming events had done more to advance anti-Union sentiment than pro-Independence politicians due to the involvement of common people and their rejection of UK immigration laws.[19] On the other hand, in a column for The Scotsman, Conservative politician John McLellan criticised the SNP's response, claiming it had raised racial tensions, was hypocritical in light of previous statements against mass gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraged the violation of the rule of law.[20] In response to COVID-19 concerns, particularly as Pollokshields had been identified as a COVID-19 hotspot and the protests have been compared to Rangers F.C. celebrations which have drawn crowds of thousands and resulted in disturbances, Yousaf stated that, while all gatherings must be discouraged, it was not fair to compare the "thuggish, loutish behaviour" of the latter with the former.[21]
In December 2021 the protest was identified as one of the top ten protests to make a difference in 2021.[22]
References
edit- ^ a b c Brooks, Libby (14 May 2021). "'A special day': how a Glasgow community halted immigration raid". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ a b Brooks, Libby (14 May 2021). "Glasgow protesters rejoice as men freed after immigration stand-off". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ "'I'm so happy fate brought me to Glasgow'". ITV News. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Smith, Peter (14 May 2021). "How people power on Glasgow's streets forced a Home Office immigration U-turn". ITV News. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Taylor, Marianne (26 January 2020). "Scotland's Insider Guide: Pollokshields East". The Herald. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ "Constituency profile: Glasgow Southside". Holyrood Website. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ a b Mackie, Rachel; Brown, Hannah (13 May 2021). "Police order release of men detained by immigration officers after standoff in Glasgow". The Scotsman. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Dalton, Jane (13 May 2021). "Immigration officials release two men after crowds block van". The Independent. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Stewart, Catriona (14 May 2021). "Kenmure Street's 'van man' speaks out after protest underneath immigration vehicle". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ "Scotland: 2 held for migration breaches freed after protest". AP News. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ Farzan, Antonia Noori (14 May 2021). "Hundreds of protesters block immigration van, forcing Scottish officials to release men detained in raid". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Hutchison, Caitlin (14 May 2021). "Kenmure Street: Glasgow locals rejoice as men detained by immigration enforcement released". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Ryder, Gemma (15 May 2021). "SNP's Humza Yousaf calls for cross party alliance against "draconian" immigration policies". The Herald. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Flockhart, Gary (14 May 2021). "Kenmure Street protest: Glasgow immigration detentions protester warns Home Office 'shouldn't act like mafia'". The Scotsman. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Armstrong, Gary (14 May 2021). "Kenmure Street residents to hold doorstep vigil in message to Home Office". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Lennon, Holly (15 May 2021). "Charity exploring legal action against Home Office over Pollokshields dawn raid". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Howard Beckett: Patel laws 'disgusting' says union boss after Labour suspension". BBC News. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Scotland's papers: People power and teen jabs to tackle variant". BBC News. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Mackay, Neil (14 May 2021). "Kenmure Street fightback did more to undermine Union than any pro-Yes politician — Neil Mackay". The Herald. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ McLellan, John (15 May 2021). "Kenmure Street: Protest against Glasgow deportation attempt was impressive but SNP support raises serious concerns about the rule of law". The Scotsman. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ "'Strict liability' warning to football clubs over fan behaviour". BBC News. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ Williams, Craig; Bhardwaj, Naina (28 December 2021). "Glasgow Kenmure Street protest one of world's 2021 demos that made a difference". Daily Record. Retrieved 28 December 2021.