Although the number of people seeking asylum in the UK has reduced drastically over the past five years, the number of asylum seekers living in Glasgow remains high. Glasgow remains one of the key areas for the dispersal of asylum seekers in the UK.
Over the past 6 years, RST has seen a significant increase in the number of grants made to support destitute refugees and asylum seekers. In the past year, RST provided grants to alleviate the destitution of 1158 asylum seekers, and grants are now being made to support around 100 people each month. Grant monitoring records show the causes of destitution remain widespread and varied, many of which are caused by the frequent changes made in legislation relating to asylum and immigration.
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
| Numbers supported | 303 | 405 | 501 | 833 | 612 | 1158 |
| Adults | 180 | 285 | 317 | 627 | 511 | 765 |
| Children | 123 | 120 | 184 | 206 | 101 | 393 |
Demand for Access to Employment Grants has increased from 3 per month in September 2005 to 6 per month in September 2006. Current demand for grants outstrips the funding available from the Scottish Executive.
