Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-10347, in the name of Humza Yousaf, on asylum seekers and refugees: the need to create a more humane syst...

The Minister for External Affairs and International Development (Humza Yousaf) SNP

Last night, I had the enormous pleasure of speaking at the launch of refugee week Scotland 2014 at the stunning venue of the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow. Refu...

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

I am pleased to take part in today’s debate, and I want to say at the outset that I am proud of the UK’s long and distinguished record of offering asylum and...

Humza Yousaf SNP

Jamie McGrigor mentioned that he is pleased that the coalition Government took that step of not detaining children in Dungavel. What is his reaction when chi...

Jamie McGrigor Con

If that is really the case, I will have to come back to the minister at another time with an answer to that. All I know is that what I said is true. Dawn ra...

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD) LD

I, too, welcome the debate, which is fitting in refugee week. I have no doubt that, across the chamber, we want to see the asylum system constantly improvi...

Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP) SNP

I interject not on the subject of independence but on the responsibilities that the Scottish Government currently has. Housing would be a core responsibility...

Alison McInnes LD

I despair of the constant negativity from the SNP, which is always looking at what we cannot do instead of at what we can do. There is plenty of scope to imp...

Humza Yousaf SNP

I ask Alison McInnes the same question that I asked Jamie McGrigor. Does she have an opinion on whether Yarl’s Wood—later on, I plan to read a testimony that...

Alison McInnes LD

Wherever they come from, children ought not to be detained unless as a very last resort. We have seen a significant change in the whole procedure, and it is ...

Graeme Pearson (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

In his opening speech, the minister alluded to the terror, the tragedy and the fear that are faced by many people who cross the globe to seek asylum in a for...

Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP) SNP

Does the member believe that the media have an important role to play in putting across factual information rather than the misinformation that, in some area...

Graeme Pearson Lab

I am grateful to Dennis Robertson for that intervention. I acknowledge the part that the media can play, but that only strengthens my argument that the Gover...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con

We move to the open debate; speeches should be of five minutes or thereabouts, please. 15:52

Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP) SNP

It is not often that we take part in a debate that has the words “asylum seekers and refugees” and “humane system” in the same sentence. I want to focus on t...

Sandra White (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) SNP

I, too, welcome refugee week Scotland and the events that are taking place across Scotland to mark it. I congratulate all at the Scottish Refugee Council on ...

Alison McInnes LD

Will the member take an intervention?

Sandra White SNP

I will finish my point and then take an intervention. Many groups and individuals have fought for many years to end that practice, but it has not ended.

Alison McInnes LD

I back the member’s remarks on the “go home” vans, but not her suggestion that they were anything to do with the Liberal Democrats. She knows that the scheme...

Sandra White SNP

I thank Alison McInnes, but she knows what they say, and if you get into bed with someone, you have to take the consequences. Her Liberal Democrat colleagues...

Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Lab) Lab

The debate about this country’s relationship with refugees and asylum seekers is too often distorted, too unfair and misleading, and many of the most common...

Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP) SNP

I am delighted to follow an excellent speech from Margaret McCulloch, in which she mentioned some of the common misconceptions with which I was going to begi...

Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I am often asked by some of the many young visitors to the Parliament what I think is the best thing the Parliament has delivered for the people of Scotland....

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

I call Dr Elaine Murray. Members now have up to five minutes. 16:19

Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab) Lab

Following on from Clare Adamson’s speech, my tangential knowledge of the experience of a refugee relates to Hector Fuentes, who came to the UK in 1976 having...

Humza Yousaf SNP

I accept Dr Murray’s point about Jack McConnell and his sincerity in trying to change the situation. I have a great amount of respect for Mr McConnell. Howev...

Elaine Murray Lab

My argument is that we can achieve some of what we are talking about through devolution. I think that that is also Jack McConnell’s argument. As far as I can...

James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) SNP

Glasgow, Scotland’s greatest city, is a city built on immigrants. Many folk from Ireland, Italy, the Indian subcontinent, countries across Africa, the rest o...

Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP) SNP

I associate myself with Margaret McCulloch, whose speech stuck to the facts and put in context the problem, which is sometimes overstated—perhaps not in the ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Con

We move to closing speeches. I remind members who have taken part in the debate that they might wish to return to the chamber. 16:34