Serco slammed over profits drive at arms trade show while trying to evict asylum seekers fleeing war

/asylum-seeker-eviction-firm-serco-18955

  • #Serco slammed over profits drive at arms trade show while trying to evict asylum seekers fleeing war

    The firm evicting hundreds of asylum seekers from their homes has been condemned over plans to exhibit at a controversial arms trade show.

    Serco, which holds the Home Office contract to house about 300 people in Glasgow, has dozens of defence contracts around the world.

    The private multinational will be touting for business at DSEI 2019 next month in London’s ExCeL arena.

    Serco sparked controversy over plans to change locks on the homes of unsuccessful asylum seekers, with hundreds facing homelessness in the coming weeks.

    Many tenants fled conflict to seek sanctuary in Scotland. But despite protests and live legal challenges, Serco has started evictions.

    DSEI is a bi-annual event that brings together hundreds of firms with military delegations.

    Serco is a major partner of the Ministry of Defence and provides services for Tornado and Typhoon fighter jets, among other contracts.

    Both aircraft have been used by a Saudi-led coalition accused of scores of war crimes in the civil war by proxy in Yemen.

    Serco’s website says the firm has 70 defence contracts in the UK and Europe alone, including with the Belgian armed forces.

    It also has contracts with the Australian navy and Australian defence force, and last year won an £18million training contract with the US army.

    The website claims Serco has “breadth and depth of expertise across all military environments, including space, maritime, land, and air”.

    Last year its operating profit rose 40 per cent to £80.5million.

    The Scottish Human Rights Commission was last month given leave to intervene in a legal challenge against evicting asylum seekers denied the right to stay in the United Kingdom.

    The case – Ali v Serco and the Home Secretary – opposes Serco’s Glasgow lock change programme and argues that eviction would be unlawful without a court order.

    It was dismissed in April but is now being appealed.

    Graham O’Neill of the Scottish Refugee Council said: “In Glasgow, Serco are contracted to provide housing to thousands of highly vulnerable people who have fled war and terror across the world, in countries such as Syria, Iran and Eritrea.

    “That they are attending the arms fair while actively evicting this marginalised group, despite live legal proceedings, indicates that they value defence and immigration contracts and profit over people.”

    Labour MP Paul Sweeney said: “That Serco seeks to profit from conflict while earning income from the refugees displaced by those very conflicts throws into sharp focus the mercenary exploitation of unscrupulous capitalism.

    “It’s a crass move that will stick in the throats of the thousands of Glaswegians who stand shoulder to shoulder with the asylum seekers Serco is throwing out on the street.”

    Campaign Against the Arms Trade in Scotland added: “This exposes the ruthless business model of Serco. We will be at DSEI protesting this gross hypocrisy.”

    At least 38 companies with bases in Scotland are also attending DSEI 2019.

    They include arms firms Chemring, Leonardo MW and Raytheon, whose smart bombs made in Fife have been linked to alleged war crimes in Yemen.

    A Serco spokesman said it would have “a small stand” at the event, to promote its “civil space business”.

    https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/asylum-seeker-eviction-firm-serco-18955574
    #privatisation #asile #migrations #armes #armement #commerce_d'armes #DSEI #salon_de_l'armement #Londres

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