Learning from our mistakes

The deaths of the Russian family at the Red Road flats in Springburn on Sunday, 7 March 2010 were tragic. This is a terrible incident that has impacted upon the entire local community.

I met with the Prime Minister last Wednesday to convey to him the shock of the people of Springburn. He agreed with me that this was an extraordinary situation, with exceptional circumstances.

The family sought asylum in the UK from Canada. Understandably, they were refused. A credible and efficient asylum system cannot provide refuge to those from countries with impeccable human rights records. The limited space we have must be reserved for those fleeing nations in which their lives are in real danger.

From the details that have emerged about the family, it appears that the father suffered from mental health problems. His claims that the Canadian Government sought to control his brain with the use of psychotronic weapons indicate that all was not well.

The challenge now is for all agencies involved in the asylum system to work together to ensure that an incident such as this never happens again.

The Prime Minister agreed with me that we all must work harder to better publicise the vast support network currently available to asylum seekers, as well as redoubling efforts to improve on this.

I wrote to Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, asking that more be done to enable the UK Border Agency to link up more effectively with the NHS, local housing providers, education groups and other agencies.

Whilst it would be wrong to blame the asylum system for the deaths of this family, owing to his apparent mental health problems, there is of course room for improvement.

Working with my colleagues in Government, the voluntary sector, and the private sector, I will continue to work toward this goal.