5 replies to this topic

[badger]

Three asylum seekers tied themselves together before  jumping from high-rise flats 'rather than be deported'

Death plunge: Two men and a woman died after plunging to the ground from a the 15th floor
Three immigrants facing deportation died after jumping from the 15th floor of a high-rise flat.

The horrific incident happened yesterday at a notorious tower block complex in a run-down district of Glasgow.

The bodies of the victims  -  two men and a woman - were found after a cupboard was thrown from a balcony to break protective netting.

They tied themselves together before making the 150ft suicide leap from the YMCA-managed property.

Although the victims' identities have not been released, locals said they may have been Kosovans who faced being kicked out the country.

Detectives said there were no suspicious circumstances.

The bodies were discovered at the Red Road flats at Petershill Drive, Springburn, at about 8.30am.
Strathclyde Police blocked off the street and officers stood guard. The area around the flat was cordoned off and two white tents were erected by forensic officers.

Elizabeth Neilson, 42, who lives in the opposite block, said: 'I opened my blinds and saw them lying there this morning at about 8.30am.

'I saw two concierge staff standing there and three bodies lying on the ground. It is horrible.
'I phoned the concierge and he said he couldn't say much but that three people had thrown themselves off the veranda.'

Elaine Sandford, 40, said she believed the deceased were from Kosovo and faced being deported.

She said: 'I think they had a letter through the door that said they were coming back for them.'

The victims' neighbour said they had lived there for two months but she did not know them.

Mark Johnson witnessed the grisly scene as he left his flat to play football.

Mark, 24, from South Africa, said: "I saw three bodies covered with white sheets.

'At first, I thought it was a movie scene but the concierge told me, "It's not a movie. It's real".

'I then watched as the police put tape up and sealed off the area.

'They marked certain things with numbers, just like you see on the forensic shows on TV.'
Enlarge    The torn safety netting can be seen on the 15th floor balcony, left, where the three leaped to their deaths

A spokeswoman for Glasgow Housing Association, which own the flats, said: 'We are very saddened to hear about the tragic incident.

'The police and the emergency services are continuing their inquiries and we are helping in every way we can.'
The housing association confirmed there are a total of 65 YMCA properties at the Petershill Drive flats.

A police spokesman said: 'Inquiries are ongoing to establish the identities of the three people involved and post mor tem examinat ions will take place to establish the exact cause of death.

'However, at this time, there does not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.'


Residents of the tower block had to sign in and out with police if they were entering the building. For part of the day, residents were not allowed to return to the tower block once they had left.


A UK Border Agency spokesman said the agency was aware of the deaths but refused to comment any further.

The Red Road flats complex features eight high-rises which were once the highest flats in Europe.

In recent years, they have been used to house asylum seekers from Kosovo, Africa, Asia, the former Soviet Union, Iran and Iraq.
The flats are due to be demolished by Glasgow Housing Association over the next three years as part of a £60million redevelopment.
Local MSP Paul Martin said: 'This is a terrible tragedy and the thoughts of myself and the community are with the families of those who died in this tragic event.

'I have been in contact with the police to ensure that the necessary resources will be made available to fully investigate all the circumstances surrounding these deaths.'

Robina Qureshi, director of Positive Action in Housing, a Scottish charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers in local communities, said: 'The Red Road flats have housed hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers.

'We are concerned because hundreds of our clients who are from refugee communities were living in the area.'

She said talk of suicide was common among the charity’s service users, adding: 'Many live their daily lives under extreme pressure for years because their lives are on hold while they wait to hear if they will be granted leave to remain.'
John Wilkes, chief executive of Scottish Refugee Council said: 'This is a tragic incident both for those involved and the community as a whole. While we have no knowledge of what led to these very sad circumstances, we can say that people seeking asylum often live under enormous pressure.

'Those who come to Scotland seeking sanctuary claim asylum because they are fleeing persecution and violence in their countries of origin. When they reach these shores they expect to find safety. Instead, they often find they must confront a baffling and bureaucratic asylum system.

'Everyone has the right to claim asylum and those who do so have not committed any crime. They deserve to be treated with respect, in a fair and just manner, throughout the process.'

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Could save us millions in airline tickets!

[Sceadugenden]

I will donate 100m of 16mm rope if it could help . I just need to know when the chandlery shop is open
What a business opportunity cleaning Glasgow streets of Paki parts.

[Guy]

Maybe they thought the Social security Dept' would be there with a financial net to save them.....if that was the case, they should have learned English first.
Three less to worry about.

[Penda Of Teotta's Halh]

Ever heard of nearest safe country? They obviously hadn't.

Waste of life, if only they'd have gone to Greece or Italy - both safe countries right by their place of origin - they'd probably be allowed to stay & wouldn't have felt the need to jump. I reckon there were other underlying causes for their suicides.

[Hildebeorht]

Penda Of Teotta, on 08 March 2010 - 08:48 PM, said:

I reckon there were other underlying causes for their suicides.

Well, living in Glasgow would drive me to suicide.

[badger]

Hildebeorht, on 08 March 2010 - 08:52 PM, said:

Well, living in Glasgow would drive me to suicide.

That was probably it, then - they'd been refused deportation!