A JUDGE has dismissed a legal challenge brought by asylum seekers at the centre of an eviction row in Glasgow.
Accommodation provider Serco announced plans to issue lock-change notices to tenants refused refugee status last July.
The Home Office contractor said it was forced to act after paying for housing for up to 300 asylum seekers in Glasgow who had been denied the right to remain in the UK.
Two women - a Kurdish Iraqi national and a Kurdish Iranian - launched a legal challenge against Serco and the Home Secretary, arguing their eviction would be unlawful without a court order.
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The pair were represented in court by the Govan Law Centre.
On Friday, Court of Session judge Lord Tyre ruled the arguments were not sound and dismissed the cases.
He said in the judgment: "I am not persuaded that there is anything in either of the pursuers' cases requiring proof before answer.
"On the contrary I am satisfied that neither of the pursuers has made out a relevant case for any of the orders sought."
Reacting to the decision, the Govan Law Centre said they were "very disappointed" for their clients asylum seekers across Glasgow who have been threatened with lock-change evictions.
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Mike Dailly, solicitor advocate at centre, added: “Standing today’s court ruling, any asylum seeker threatened with a lock-change eviction in Scotland will need to challenge that decision by lodging an urgent appeal to the First Tier Immigration Tribunal.
"The practicalities of people being able to do so are challenging and not always straight-forward, and Govan Law Centre hopes to explore these serious challenges with partner agencies in Glasgow.
“It will be necessary for people to first ask the Home Office for continued support and accommodation in terms of section 95 or section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. If that is refused, it will then be necessary to appeal that decision”.
It was revealed in January that Serco had lost the Home Office contract in Scotland, which will be delivered by Mears Group after September.
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