Refugees from a homeless encampment in Albert Square and supporters gathered outside the city council offices to deliver a list of demands calling for better treatment.
The camp, known as the “red tent camp”, was initially evicted in February following a possession order from St Peter’s Square, after which they moved to Albert Square, the other side of the council offices.
There are now more than 40 tents gathered around the Gladstone statue, and on May 14 they were asked to move to accommodate the expansion of work on the Town Hall.
The residents, supported by a crowd of more than 50 people, handed over a list of demands on Monday evening for Joanna Midgley, the deputy leader of the council and representative for Manchester borough on the Greater Manchester Homelessness Programme Board.
They walked with a large banner that said: “Homes for people not for profit.”
Their demands were: provide safe housing for all people experiencing homelessness, offer jobs not charity, commit to treating unhoused people with dignity, respect and compassion, and ensure accountability for council-employed staff who residents and campaigners claim have acted abusively toward people sleeping in tents.
Manchester City Council reject the allegations about their officers’ behaviour.
When protestors arrived at the council entrance, they were blocked from entry by security guards, who initially refused to let them hand over their demands.
Residents and supporters chanted at the entrance for half an hour and, following negotiations with council security and police, the demands were given to a council worker to pass to Cllr Midgley.
Resident of the camp Robin said: “I’m here for my life, to be able to study, to be able to have housing. I would be able to study and work, that’s all I want. I want to study English.”
Robin, like many of the residents of the camp, had to leave temporary accommodation when his plea for asylum was granted and was given his status papers here, giving Manchester City Council responsibility over him.
He said: “Whenever you stand with people, from inside you feel good within yourself. I feel that, I believe other people can feel that.
“If you help me, God will help you.”
Residents of the camps say that they have experienced mistreatment, including members of the public urinating on their tents.
Many residents are fleeing conflict in Sudan, and campaigners say they bear scars from torture.
Colin, a campaigner with the residents, said: “People ask where they are meant to go and the answer is anywhere but here.
“We are moving from the principle that everyone has a right to housing.
“Clearly not providing housing is a choice, a political choice because of the way the migration is currently being weaponsing and a choice to continue profiting off people’s need for shelter, to allow big developers to gentrify this city instead of actually providing housing to people who need it.”
A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: “Our consistent position is that camps, such as the one on Albert Square occupied predominantly by people who are refugees, benefit no one and are not a safe, sanitary or in any way suitable environment from which to access support.”
They are engaging with residents of the camp to ensure they have a homelessness assessment, and that anyone classed as vulnerable and in priority is offered temporary accommodation, with support and advice offered to anyone not classed as vulnerable.
They said: “We have been frank with those camping in Albert Square that they do not have permission to be there, and that we intend to take legal steps if they do not leave voluntarily.
“There are a number of things that it’s important to understand about the ongoing situation over the last year with tents occupied by people who are refugees sleeping rough.
“This is a national issue which has arisen because of a huge backlog which built up under the previous government in assessing the claims of people fleeing conflict, famine or other issues and seeking asylum in the UK. As this backlog has been dealt with, people granted the right to remain have had to leave their Home Office accommodation.
“The majority of the refugees in the Albert Square camp were not originally accommodated in Manchester, and have no pre-existing connection with the city, but have travelled here from other parts of the country – attracted by the city’s international reputation and the mistaken belief that we would be able to do more to support them than other places. Similar camps exist in other parts of the UK.
“Our homelessness team, together with partners in the voluntary and community sector, have worked hard to help people off the streets – either by providing temporary accommodation to those classed as vulnerable and in priority need or helping them to find themselves private rented sector accommodation and employment. Many people have been helped in this way.
“But it’s clear that we can’t simply accommodate our way out of this issue. We reached a point last year where everyone camping in St Peter’s Square had been accommodated and there were no tents left but it has built up again to the numbers we see today. Going beyond our legal duties would be unsustainable and short-sighted as it would just attract ever more people from across the country.
“So, while providing appropriate support, we also have to address the negative impacts of tent camps both on the people in them and the wider public.”
Photo credit: Roma Robinson
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