KABUL: The first batch of Hajj pilgrims from Afghanistan, some 346 men and women, left Kabul Airport for Saudi Arabia on Sunday morning.Īn estimated 30,000 Afghans will perform the spiritual journey this year, one of Islam’s five pillars of faith. “We have a high regard for, and confidence in, the teams at both the hotels and strongly believe they perform a challenging role with professionalism and compassion for the people in their care.” It continued: “No complaints have been made by any asylum-seekers in our care directly to us via the Serco whistleblowing line or through any of the comprehensive, robust and independent complaint procedures that are available to asylum-seekers, our employees and partners. “They do not have any basis in fact and contain a number of significant inaccuracies, which, as we have pointed out to the Observer, significantly undermines the credibility of their story.” “Serco has rigorously investigated the claims that have been put to us by the Observer and found that they are without foundation,” a statement from the firm said. In 2019 Serco was awarded a £1.9 billion contract to manage accommodation over a 10-year period. More than 50,000 asylum seekers are housed in Home Office-run hotels, which, according to reports, costs the British taxpayer £6 million ($7.4 million) per day. It added: “We have robust safeguarding measures and dedicated welfare teams across all asylum sites to ensure that every asylum-seeker is treated with dignity and has access to the support they need.” The wellbeing and safety of those in our care is paramount,” They’ve got no one to stand up for them,” the staff member added.Ī Home Office statement said in response: “We have thoroughly investigated these allegations, but cannot find any evidence to substantiate them. “I believe that no matter where you’re from, you’re entitled to a nice life, but instead they’re being bullied because they’re vulnerable. “I really worry about what happened to the service users when I wasn’t there - there were so many safeguarding issues, I felt so guilty leaving but I couldn’t stay, for my own mental health,” one Serco staff member told the newspaper. The allegations, which were reported in The Observer newspaper, included mistreatment of asylum-seekers with mental health issues, the use of racial slurs and the denial of basic necessities such as food and water.Īccording to the newspaper, sources said hotel staff were given little to no training, were instructed by senior management not to provide hot beverages, including in the colder winter months, and that chefs felt “under constant pressure” to make fewer, cheaper meals. On Saturday, accusations were made against staff of Home Office subcontractor Serco of creating a culture of “institutional abuse” at five hotels in the Merseyside area, including the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, where far-right violence and anti-migrant protests erupted earlier this year. LONDON: The UK Home Office has refuted allegations of harassment, humiliation and abuse of asylum-seekers staying at hotels in and around Liverpool. “Kyiv stood up again and will stand up in the future!” Popko said. In the often-targeted Shevchenkivskyi district of central Kyiv debris was found on a road. He said that according to preliminary information there were no casualties in the attack that was carried out with cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea region.įalling debris fell on a house in the Holosiivskyi district in the southwest of Kyiv, Kyiv’s Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on his Telegram messaging channel, adding there were no casualties or much damage. “(They) try to kill as many civilians as possible - on this day,” Popko said. It also came on Russia’s Victory Day, one its most commemorated public holidays, marking the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. Tuesday’s attacks - the fifth in May - came a day after Russia launched its biggest drone swarm yet in a renewed air campaign unleashed 10 days ago after a lull since early March. “As at the front, the plans of the aggressor failed,” Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv’s city military administration, said in comments posted on the Telegram messaging app. KYIV: Russia launched about 15 cruise missiles at Ukraine’s capital on Tuesday, the second attack in as many days, with air defense systems shooting all of them down, officials said, after air raid alerts blared over most of the country.
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