In yet another example of UK authorities protecting illegal immigrants over the country’s own citizens, Police Scotland has flat-out refused to disclose the number of police call-outs, crimes, and arrests at hotels housing asylum seekers.
This evasion comes as communities grapple with the fallout from open-border policies, where transparency takes a backseat to avoiding “heightened tensions” – tensions obviously fueled by those same policies.
TheScottish Daily Expresssubmitted a straightforward Freedom of Information request seeking aggregated data on incidents at five specific locations: the Muthu Glasgow River Hotel in Erskine, McLays Guest House in Glasgow, The Watermill Hotel in Paisley, The Bruce Hotel in East Kilbride, and the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk. These sites, confirmed by police as housing ‘asylum seekers,’ have become flashpoints for public discontent.
EXCLUSIVE: Police Scotland hide true scale of asylum hotel crime over fears of sparking violencehttps://t.co/aPx6Pu3UPU
Police Scotland’s response was to issue a blanket denial, wrapped in concerns over public safety. “Our understanding of the locations listed in your request is that they are currently, or have recently, been used to house homeless individuals, including refugees or asylum seekers,” the force stated.
But they went further, admitting past disclosures but now claiming a shift: “Whilst we have disclosed data for such premises in the past, we are increasingly aware of heightened community tensions regarding the use of such premises, particularly as connected to asylum/ immigration matters, and that means that the likelihood of harm from the disclosure of related data has increased significantly.”
The core justification boils down to this: “Furthermore, in the current climate it is our assessment that data regarding these premises has the potential to increase community tensions around these properties, which would not only require an increased police response but could also put individuals (police officers, residents and the wider public) at increased risk of physical harm.”
It’s a convenient excuse that dodges accountability while implying that the public can’t handle the facts.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr slammed the decision, urging “Too many public bodies take their lead from an SNP government that’s addicted to secrecy, as a means of avoiding legitimate questions.”
He added, “This is a reasonable request for information and Police Scotland should provide it, rather than hiding behind spurious excuses.”
Source: modernity
