A Glasgow Immigration Enforcement van was stopped by hundreds of local community members when the authorities detained two men from their home in the residential area of Pollokshields.
NRI Affairs News Desk
A Glasgow Immigration Enforcement van was stopped by hundreds of local community members when the authorities detained two men from their home in the residential area of Pollokshields.
On Thursday morning, more than 200 residents of Pollokshields surrounded a government van carrying two men detained by the UK Border Force officials apparently to deport.
The local member started posting pictures and videos on social media, and hundreds of people gathered in the street to stop the authorities as the posts went viral.
Some protesters could be seen positioned themselves under the van too.
The protesters, chanting “Leave our neighbours, let them go” and “Cops go home” as the local police soon intervened.
People were opposed to a deportation on the day of Eid. One of the protesters compared the immigration operation on Eid to a police raid on Christmas Day.
After hours of standoff, the two men were set free by the authorities, leaving the crowd euphoric.
“You messed with the wrong city,” said one of the protesters.
“I’m just overwhelmed by Glasgow’s solidarity for refugees and asylum seekers. Refugees are welcome here. This is a victory for the community,” another protester was heard shouting.
A Police Scotland statement said Superintendent Mark Sutherland had decided to release the detained men “in order to protect the safety, public health and wellbeing of those involved in the detention and subsequent protest”.
Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said the Home Office’s actions had been “reckless” and added both he and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had been in touch with the Home Office to abandon the operation.
Saying that immigration was a reserved issue, he tweeted: “Situation should never have occurred – the UK Govt’s hostile environment is not welcome here”.
One of the detained men, Lakhvir Singh, spoke afterwards with the help of a translator. He said, “I’ve been astonished and overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from the people of Glasgow.”
34-year-old Indian citizen Singh said, “At around 9.30 am, immigration enforcement carried out a raid, and we were taken to security in the van. There were only five or six people at the time, but word spread and then there were crowds of hundreds.
“We are so grateful for the support,” Mr Singh was quoted saying by The Scotsman.
A UK Home Office spokesperson said, “The UK government is tackling illegal immigration and the harm it causes, often to the most vulnerable people, by removing those with no right to be in the UK. The operation in Glasgow was conducted in relation to suspected immigration offences, and the two Indian nationals complied with officers at all times.”
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