In Scotland’s cities, people are going without the basics they need to survive. Locked out of work and government support, they rely on charities, friends and strangers.

These shocking experiences of deprivation were debated in the Scottish Parliament last week, as MSPs from across the political spectrum demonstrated their impassioned and urgent support for change, and called on the Minister for Equalities to act urgently to end destitution in Scotland.

Every day, immigration restrictions force people into destitution. People who came to the UK to work, study, be with family, or seek sanctuary, including EU citizens, are prohibited from working and left with no safety net.

Recent research shows that over half of those surveyed slept rough in the last year, a third had no income at all in the last month, and hunger was the norm. Exploitative work was also common, as people desperately sought access to some form of sustenance........

© Herald Scotland