GLASGOW residents have been praised for welcoming refugees into their homes.

A total of 85 families in Glasgow have offered accommodation to unaccompanied 16 and 17-year-olds in the city this year.

Refugee and migrant homelessness charity Positive Action for Housing has said that Westminster has absolved themselves of responsibility for those in need, leaving people destitute.

The number of refugees and asylum seekers in need of emergency support has trebled in one year.

The organisation noted a 65 per cent increase in the number of people they provided advice, skills and humanitarian support to throughout 2016 until March 31, 2017, at their annual AGM conference.

Robina Qureshi, chief executive officer, said that changing attitudes has led to a hostile environment and “1970s racism becoming the new black”.

She added: “We have supported 1,055 destitute families throughout the year - destitution is now ingrained into the UK asylum model.

“In 2018, we expect things will get tougher. We expect more people to fall into poverty and debt as austerity takes hold.

“We are deeply concerned that the toxic content of the new Immigration Act will be the precursor to much worse treatment of minorities, refugees and migrants.”

Glasgow residents were praised for opening their homes to those in need through the Room for Refugees scheme.

Hamid, from Iran, lost ten years of his life to homelessness and destitution after fleeing him country.

The 36-year-old was put in touch with Positive Action and eventually found a home with Alison, a primary school teacher, and husband Gen, an environmental officer, in Glasgow for a year and a half.

The nursing student fled Iran in 2005 and was homeless in Britain until 2015 when he was put in touch with Positive Action.

His application for asylum was rejected three times before being granted discretionary leave to remain in August this year.

Hamid has been working for free at Stobhill Hospital and the Royal Infirmary despite being unable to claim travel expenses due to being refused a bank account because he was an asylum seeker.