Local MP raises concern with Dungavel replacement
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has said the closure of Dungavel detention centre and its replacement in a newer centre near Glasgow Airport raises serious concerns about the UK government’s plans to forcibly remove individuals from Scotland. Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said:
“The SNP has long campaigned for the closure of the Dungavel detention centre and cautiously welcomes the UK government decision to finally close it. The practices that have been allowed to take place at the centre – including the detention of children – are inhumane, unfair and proven to be ineffective.
“I have contacted the UK Government’s Immigration Minister, Robert Goodwill MP, to request an urgent meeting to seek assurances on these practices and the proposed centres impact on Renfrewshire. There will be a lot of interest in what this new facility will mean and it’s vitally important that we get as much detail as possible.
“This new short-term facility could allow moving detainees to centres in England that allow long-term detention. This would move them far away from their friends and legal advisors to a jurisdiction where access to justice is severely impeded by a very limited legal aid regime. I will of course keep local constituents updated on these new plans from the UK government.”
