The Scottish Government has dropped a crucial commitment to introduce free bus travel for people seeking asylum.
People seeking asylum in Scotland are forced into abject poverty by the Westminster Government. A recent survey by Asylum Matters of 300 people seeking asylum found that 91% did not have enough money to buy food, 75% could not afford the medicines they needed, and 95% were not able to travel where they needed to by public transport.
The Scottish Parliament might not have the powers to create our own asylum system, but we do have the ability and responsibility to use what powers we have to support those who have come to Scotland in search of protection.
That is why the Scottish Greens secured a commitment to introduce free bus travel for people seeking asylum from the Scottish Government in 2023. But now the SNP has backtracked and removed funding for the scheme.
Introducing free bus travel would help mitigate some of the devastating impacts of a hostile UK asylum system built on racist policies, and it would only cost a small fraction of the Scottish Government’s overall budget.
The Scottish Greens are calling on the Scottish Government to listen to the refugee charities across Scotland who are demanding they recommit to introducing free bus travel for asylum seekers.
In Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scottish Green councillors have secured cross-party support for this policy at council level; now it’s time for the SNP government to step up and act.
Join the campaign and write to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport today.