Glasgow Central MP, Alison Thewliss, spent Thursday morning visiting Freedom from Torture, a charity which is based in the Gorbals area of her constituency.
As a leading charity providing support to refugees and asylum seekers, Freedom from Torture provides expert medical assessments to support survivors’ asylum claims as well as specialist psychotherapy support. They also facilitate more informal groups on gardening, music, creative writing and cookery.
Ms Thewliss had a chance to meet with some of the refugees who use the service and hear their experiences of interacting with the Home Office.
Speaking after her visit to the Adelphi Centre, where the project is based, Ms Thewliss said:
“I was really grateful for the opportunity to visit Freedom from Torture this morning. The work they do to support some of the most vulnerable asylum seekers in our country is heart-warming and ensures refugees get the love and support they need after such awful ordeals.
“The opportunity to listen to the experiences and testimony of the refugees was incredibly moving – particularly regarding some of the ill-treatment at the hands of the UK Home Office. I cannot help but conclude that traumatic situations are exacerbated by an uncaring and cold hearted Home Office, which is clearly ill equipped to deal with survivors of torture. It is so important that survivors of torture have their cases heard properly, particularly when Freedom from Torture have provided expert medico-legal evidence to support their claim. I’ll certainly be taking this up with the Home Office to ensure survivors of torture are treated with more respect, sensitivity and dignity.”