A HUGE migrant “tent city” has finally been removed after months of chaos – before popping back up again nearby just hours later.
Manchester City Council evicted dozens of people from an encampment outside the town hall in St Peter’s Square this morning.
Homeless people were evicted from the ‘red tent camp’ in St Peter’s Square, Manchester, this morning[/caption]
People were handed plastic bags for their belongings[/caption]
Council operatives moved to evict those living in the group of tents[/caption]
But within hours many of the people were seen setting up a new camp[/caption]
Council operatives moved to evict those living in the group of tents known as the “red tent camp” at around 6.45am.
It comes after the council was granted a possession order by a judge giving them permission to move those occupying the land.
People were handed plastic bags for their belongings as bailiffs “knocked on” tents and instructed those living in the camp to leave.
But within hours many of the people were seen setting up a new camp just yards away outside the city centre’s Midland Hotel.
The red tent camp sprang up last spring, initially as a protest, but soon morphed into a long-term spot homeless people stayed in.
Although they were moved on by authorities for Remembrance Sunday and New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations, the camp has become a fixture on St Peter’s Square.
Earlier this month, the Greater Manchester Law Centre fronted a legal challenge to stop the council’s bid to take possession of the land.
However the challenge failed giving the council the power to effectively evict those living in the encampment.
The Law Centre formally represented one asylum seeker, who saw the council’s claim against him withdrawn.
The case included dozens more unrepresented refugees with roughly 40 appearing in civil court.
During the proceedings one refugee told His Honour Judge Nigel Bird he did “not think anybody with a tent there is happy or comfortable”.
But the judge ruled the refugees — considered trespassers in law — must remove their tents.
“For all those reasons I have come to the conclusion there’s no basis I can order direction in regard to the unrepresented defendants,” he said.
“I therefore order the unrepresented defendants give up possession of St Peter’s Square and I will make an order accordingly.
The council was granted a possession order by a judge[/caption]
The red tent camp sprang up last spring[/caption]
Bailiffs ‘knocked on’ tents and instructed those living in the camp to leave[/caption]
“St Peter’s Square is a public amenity. It stands at the heart of the city and its amenity in my judgement is available for all.
“I am comforted each of the defendants, named or otherwise, is within part seven of the [housing] system and I am confident the system will move forward.
“I do not order in regards to the 14th defendant [represented by the Law Centre].
What Manchester council said
A council statement issued hours after the evictions said: “The court order instructing people in the St Peter’s Square camp to leave the area was carried out successfully this morning.
“This brings to an end the encampment which has been in place there for several months, with fluctuating numbers, occupied by people who are refugees who have been granted the right to remain in the country.
“We have conducted homelessness assessments for people camping there and offered temporary accommodation to everyone who we owed a statutory duty – anyone classed as vulnerable and in priority need.
“Others on site who were not classed as vulnerable were still offered advice and support, including a personal housing plan, to help them secure accommodation for themselves.
“People were given the choice to pack up and take their tents with them.
“The only tents which were disposed of were ones which had been abandoned.
“We would reiterate that help is at hand for any Manchester resident facing homelessness.
“The Council’s homelessness service works hard alongside a fantastic network of voluntary and community sector organisations in the city.
“But as we have consistently stated, this informal camp in St Peter’s Square was not a safe, sanitary or suitable place from which to access support.
“Nor does camping in a public space accelerate their homelessness application or gain them any other advantage.
“We have had a number of issues in keeping the area safe, secure and clean – as we saw in the run-up to Remembrance Weekend and New Year’s Eve events.
“The presence of the tents has also impacted on the day-to-day delivery of services from the town hall extension, including hindering evacuation in the event of an alarm.
“We’re glad the issue at this location has been addressed and would stress that help is available through established procedures for anyone who finds themselves facing homelessness.
“The possession order was specific to St Peter’s Square – and the issues there – to ensure it was reasonable and proportionate.
“While those specific issues have now been addressed, we remain clear that such encampments anywhere in the city are not in anyone’s best interests and are not a suitable place from which to access support.
“We will continue to engage with the people in the tents and monitor the situation.”
“I make a possession order in relation to possession of St Peter’s Square with the other defendants.”
A town hall spokesperson said: “We welcome the decision to grant us a possession order for St Peter’s Square to bring the encampment there to an end.
“For many months now there has been a fluctuating number of tents in this public space, occupied by people who are refugees who have been granted the right to remain the country.
“We want to stress in the strongest possible terms that help is at hand for any Manchester resident facing homelessness.
“The Council’s homelessness service works hard alongside a fantastic network of voluntary and community sector organisations in the city to deliver that support.
“In the case of refugees, we have provided advice and support and helped many to help themselves out of homelessness over the last year.
“But throughout this period we have been clear with those camping in the square that this is not a safe, suitable or sanitary place from which to access this support.
What lawyers representing refugees say
A statement from the Greater Manchester Law Centre, which represented refugees in court on February 11, said: “We are continuing to work with the people who have been evicted today from the Council’s land without any offers of alternative accommodation.
“Rough sleeping is not a choice, and many of the people we are working with have been seeking help for weeks, if not months.
“Our concern remains that the decision to evict has simply moved people on rather than resolving their homelessness.”
“Nor does camping in a public space accelerate their homelessness application or gain them any other advantage.
“We have had a number of issues in keeping the area safe, secure and clean – as we saw in the run-up to Remembrance Weekend and New Year’s Eve events – and delivering services from the nearby town hall extension.
“During the time the tents have been in place we have tried various different approaches to address this issue, some of which have succeeded in significantly reducing the number of tents in the short term only for them to increase again.
“However, with many still refusing to leave despite being repeatedly asked to do so – and other options having been exhausted – securing this order was a necessary step.
“We would reiterate that support is available through established procedures for the people who have been camping in St Peter’s Square.”
Tents being set up outside the upmarket Midland Hotel in Manchester[/caption]
It soon morphed into a long-term spot homeless people stayed in[/caption]
The camp has become a fixture on St Peter’s Square[/caption]
