Latest news with #GreaterManchesterLawCentre
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham urges homeless camp 'work with us'
People living in tents in a city centre have been urged by the region's mayor to accept the council's help, after the camp was ordered to move but has since reappeared City Council secured a "possession order" against those living in red tents in St Peter's Square next to the town hall, effectively evicting were handed plastic bags and told to leave the area on Wednesday morning but some have just set up their tents again on nearby Mosley Street. The authority said temporary accommodation had been offered to "everyone who we owed a statutory duty" and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham agreed there was "not a need for people to just stay there". The "red tent camp" sprang up last spring, initially as a protest, but soon morphed into a long-term spot for homeless people to Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester that "it's not the right place for the people to be in a situation like that"."I just think this is not good for the people in the tents, it's not good for the city." He said he supported the council's actions, adding: "Many of the people in the tents are being offered homes and everyone's being offered support.""There's not a need for people to just stay there, there's an offer of help."A legal challenge from the Greater Manchester Law Centre to stop the council's bid to take possession of the land failed earlier this month. The law centre formally represented one asylum seeker, who saw the council's claim against him withdrawn, but the case also involved dozens more of unrepresented refugees. One of them told the court they had no choice and they were "going through hell". But the judge ruled the tents must be removed. The council previously said there had been issues keeping the area, along a set of archways near Manchester Town Hall, "safe, secure and clean".Burnham said the council had not been "callous" in its decision making. "That's the way we work," he said."While it's difficult it's been done carefully, it's been done fairly."The council said those who were "vulnerable and in priority need" were offered temporary homes, while others were offered advice and urged anyone living in the relocated camp to take that help. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
26-02-2025
- BBC News
Manchester city centre homeless camp cleared by council
A homeless camp in Manchester where refugees had been living in tents has been cleared after the city council took legal action to retake the land. People who lived at the encampment in St Peter's Square were handed plastic bags for their possessions and told to leave the area from about 06:45 GMT. Abandoned tents were thrown into a bin lorry as part of the City Council said temporary accommodation had been offered "to everyone who we owed a statutory duty" living in the camp. The camp had mainly been occupied by refugees granted the legal right to remain in the UK, and was pitched along a set of archways near Manchester Town Hall. The council said there had been "fluctuating numbers" at the camp, where homelessness assessments were carried out for all residents. Those classed as "vulnerable and in priority need" were offered temporary homes, while others were offered advice and support, the authority comes after a judge ruled in favour of the council's order and said the refugees were trespassers by at the Greater Manchester Law Centre had tried to block the move and claimed the council had not fulfilled its statutory duty to offer help to all staying there. Some of the camp residents packed up their tents and belongings and set up again in other parts of the city, including nearby Mosley possession order was specific to St Peter's Square, where there had been issues keeping the area "safe, secure and clean", the council said. It said the council had "consistently stated" that the camp was not a suitable place from which to get or "accelerate" access to support The council's statement added: "We remain clear that such encampments anywhere in the city are not in anyone's best interests and are not a suitable place from which to access support. "We will continue to engage with the people in the tents and monitor the situation." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
13-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Manchester: Refugees freezing in tents in city centre
Homeless refugees who face being forced to leave a camp of tents in a city centre have told of enduring freezing temperatures for months after escaping war-torn of the group of mainly young men have been staying in the tents in St Peter's Square in Manchester after successfully applying for asylum in the UK. The camp is set to be cleared by Manchester City Council after a legal challenge by campaigners failed. Adel Youssef, 32, who also fled the civil war in Sudan, said his situation living in tents was "not good". The BBC has talked to those living in the camp, many of whom struggled to speak English, and heard about the daily conditions they Camara, who arrived in the UK from the West African country of Equatorial Guinea, said he had been rough sleeping in the tents over the said the past three months had been "very cold". Adam Abdullah, a 25-year-old refugee from Sudan, said despite the threat of being moved, he still planned to try and make a home in the city after spending months in the tents. Mr Abdullah fled "lots of fighting" in the Darfur region of Sudan before he was successfully granted said he felt safe in Manchester but the freezing temperatures had been a struggle. Mimicia Titianu, 55 from Romania, said he had been sleeping in the cold with no money for the tram, the bus, or food and lived off "one sandwich and one coffee a day"."This is my life, day-after-day," he said. The council has not said when it plans to remove the camp next to the city's town hall, where people have lived for at least a of the refugees moved to Manchester after being granted asylum in other parts of the UK in the belief the city was cheaper and they were more likely to get support. But local authorities have said they are often low on the list for social housing and have arrived in a city where support for the homeless is already struggling to meet demand. The council asked for a possession order to clear the site because the area was "not a safe or sanitary place" to access its support services, a spokesperson said. At a hearing on Friday, a judge described the refugees as "trespassers in law" when he ruled their tents must be removed as the square was a public amenity "available to all."The Greater Manchester Law Centre had tried to fight the order and argued that the council had not complied with its statutory duties to care for those in the camp under homelessness law and instead referred people to support charity Mustard hearing heard the camp had become a "revolving door" where new refugees moved in after previous residents were housed by authorities. Jade MacDonald of the Greater Manchester Tenants Union said the ruling to clear the site had "done nothing to fix the issue of homelessness" in the city."This just feeds into the council's attempts to make the problem less visible. Manchester is in desperate need of more social housing," he said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
12-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Council wins fight to ban homeless tents camp from Manchester city centre
A camp of tents being used by homeless people in a city centre must be removed after a council won a crucial court City Council has secured a "possession order" against people living in tents in St Peter's Square next to the town hall, effectively evicting them. The "red tent camp" sprang up last spring, initially as a protest, but soon morphed into a long-term spot for homeless people to stay.A legal challenge from the Greater Manchester Law Centre to stop the council's bid to take possession of the land failed on Tuesday. The council welcomed the ruling but did not confirm when the tents would be removed."We have been clear with those camping in the square that this is not a safe, suitable or sanitary place from which to access this support," a spokeswoman from the authority said."Nor does camping in a public space accelerate their homelessness application or gain them any other advantage."The law centre formally represented one asylum seeker, who saw the council's claim against him withdrawn. 'Going through hell' The case included dozens more unrepresented refugees, with about 40 appearing in civil court, the Local Democracy Reporting Service refugee told the court: "It's not something we chose or have the option [to do], so everyone is going through hell."The law centre's Kathy Cosgrove accused Manchester City Council of deliberately diverting people from the camp to an Ancoats charity, Mustard Tree, which had no statutory duty. She claimed the council "operated a policy of not accepting people they knew were homeless because they wanted to make an example of these defendants and not provide for them".But Kuljit Bhogal KC, representing the council, rebuked these claims and said the Mustard Tree was offered to all asylum seekers and was open to non-asylum seekers."There's specific provision there with interpreters," she said. "The provision to have a conversation in the warm."Ms Bhogal said that those living in homeless camps had been accommodated by the council either in temporary accommodation or by private landlords."It's simply not right to say the statutory duty has been bypassed," she Nigel Bird ruled the refugees — considered trespassers in law — must remove their said: "St Peter's Square is a public amenity. It stands at the heart of the city and its amenity in my judgment is available for all. "I am comforted each of the defendants, named or otherwise, is within part seven of the [housing] system and I am confident the system will move forward." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
St Peter's Square red tent camp of homeless people WILL be removed following court ruling
The St Peter's Square homeless camp tents must be removed after the council won a crucial court ruling. Manchester council has secured a 'possession order' against scores of people living in tents next to the town hall, effectively evicting them. The 'red tent camp' sprang up last spring, initially as a protest, but soon morphed into a long-term spot homeless people stayed in. Now the camp's days appear to be numbered, as a legal challenge from the Greater Manchester Law Centre to stop the council's bid to take possession of the land failed on Tuesday (February 11). The Law Centre formally represented one asylum seeker, who saw the council's claim against him withdrawn. The case included dozens more unrepresented refugees, with roughly 40 appearing in civil court. During the proceedings, one refugee told His Honour Judge Nigel Bird he did 'not think anybody with a tent there is happy or comfortable'. READ MORE: Kensington Palace issue unprecedented statement in defence of Princess Kate READ MORE: Missing man in Tenerife has been 'found needing medical care' after family flies out to search, says sister 'It's not something we chose or have the option [to do], so everyone is going through hell,' he added. The packed courtroom 40 heard Manchester council 'operated a policy of not accepting people they knew were homeless because they wanted to make an example of these defendants and not provide for them', according to the Law Centre's Kathy Cosgrove. 'On October 8, the rough sleepers team told them [Ancoats charity] Mustard Tree was the only place to get advice,' she continued. 'They are diverting them to a voluntary organisation which has no statutory duty.' Oliver Edwards, also appearing for the Law Centre, added: 'The diversion tactic only applying to refugees moving to Mustard Tree is unfavourable treatment they did not subject UK nationals to. There's a discrepancy between UK nationals and non-UK nationals.' Kuljit Bhogal KC, representing the council, rebuked the claims. She told the court: 'In so far as it's suggested there's a failure of duty, that's rejected.' She added the 'Mustard Tree is offered to all asylum seekers' and open to non-asylum seekers. 'There's specific provision there with interpreters,' she explained. 'The provision to have a conversation in the warm.' Ms Bhogal added homeless camp residents 'have been accommodated' by the council 'through temporary accommodation or the private rented sector'. 'It's simply not right to say the statutory duty has been bypassed,' she went on, also suggesting the camp became a 'revolving door' as new refugees moved in as previous residents were housed by authorities. HHJ Bird called 'the submission Manchester City Council has deliberately diverted those in St Peter's Square' to the Mustard Tree 'a very serious allegation' which was 'not made out in the evidence I have seen'. He ruled the refugees — considered trespassers in law — must remove their tents: 'For all those reasons I have come to the conclusion there's no basis I can order direction in regard to the unrepresented defendants. 'I therefore order the unrepresented defendants give up possession of St Peter's Square and I will make an order accordingly. 'St Peter's Square is a public amenity. It stands at the heart of the city and its amenity in my judgment is available for all. I am comforted each of the defendants, named or otherwise, is within part seven of the [housing] system and I am confident the system will move forward. 'I do not order in regards to the 14th defendant [represented by the Law Centre]. I make a possession order in relation to possession of St Peter's Square with the other defendants.'
