The case of the family that jumped from a Glasgow tower-block earlier this month was a startling revelation to many people around the UK. The underside of immigration into the UK is rarely glimpsed at and this was one such case that people would rather put to the back of their mind.

The families name was Sehryk and they hailed from Russia. The family, consisting of parents, Serguei and Tatiana, and 19-year old stepson, Stepan, had been in the UK since 2007. They had recently been refused the right to remain in the UK.

Of course all asylum applications are different and judged on varying factors, however the UKBA have come under increasing criticism for failings in this specific case. It is anticipated that a fatal accident inquiry into the incident will now take place, this is however little solace to the family or those in a similar situation living in the same desolate tower blocks as the now passed Sehryk family inhabited.

The area and the buildings the family negotiated once a week to collect the £34.50 living allowance they were entitled to while they awaited their UK visa fate, are known as the Red Road tower blocks. An architectural triumph at the time of conception, they were once among the tallest buildings in Europe, the fanfare and prestige surrounding the creations however soon faded. The Red Road flats soon descended into a reputation of drugs, crime and feral youths. The buildings have even been dedicated their own film of the same title, a gritty realist drama that seems to hold the feelings surrounding these tower blocks, as the overcast shadow that seems to encroach on the lives of the occupiers.

“A tangible feeling of helplessness”

For this is certainly the impression reporters have gathered from the scene of the Sehryk’s case, a name that should not be forgotten as quickly as the lives were ended from the 15^th floor of one of the buildings. Interviews carried out reveal a list of asylum seekers awaiting the decisions on their UK visas in the same position as the Russian family. Living a sparse and lonely life, often not venturing out, and if they do, to collect the weekly allowance and to spend that on what they can after amenity bills are paid. One man, an ex-army General reportedly cries daily about the predicament he finds himself in; the emotive exploits aside there is solid evidence that shows that this is not an isolated case. For the feelings of paranoia and helplessness are ones that it seems need to be addressed in the buildings that house those awaiting the knock on the door or the letter hitting the matt advising on their UK immigration status.

The building themselves, the iconic symbol of a lonely shell, housing hundreds yet those residents feeling as though they are deserted from a life that they felt to be the only route away from persecution, have been earmarked for destruction since they were acquired by the YMCA in 2003. This has since not materialised and with half of them now the designated dumping ground for asylum seekers awaiting UK visa decisions, seem to be here for another few years at least.

The lessons to be learnt from the case of the Sehryk family are that when dealing with this group of people there are no set rules of engagement, but that every person is human. That fact should be the constant emphasis of every case. The family obviously felt that suicide was better than the other options before them, and that should serve as an indictment on the system currently in place at Red Roads and the UK immigration authorities that deal with asylum seekers.