I welcome the letter calling for an end to the destitution of asylum seekers whose applications have been refused but cannot return home (Faith leaders call on Government to end deliberate destitution of asylum seekers, News, December 23).
In 2008, I asked Iain Duncan Smith MP to investigate the failings of the asylum system. He acknowledged that destitution was a major problem and, through his Centre for Social Justice, set up a committee of which I was the vice-chairman. I wrote the section on voluntary bodies that helped the destitute. I recall meeting a strong Christian African woman who had fled her country after escape from prison for her political activities. She wept as she told me she now had to resort to prostitution to survive.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
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