A spokesperson for the Highland Council near Inverness said the local authority has a “zero-tolerance” approach to any “unauthorised” flags which have been attached to any lamp posts and that they will be removed. The announcement comes after a Union flag and a Saltire had appeared near an Inverness army base on the city’s Old Perth Road. They were put up following the UK government’s proposal to temporarily house around 300 asylum seekers in phases at Cameron Barracks, near Inverness city centre. Aberdeen, Peterhead and Falkirk are also among the places where flags have been flown.
Highland Council spokesperson said: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to any unauthorised attachments to our lighting columns be it signs, stickers, banners or anything else.
“We will arrange for the removal of this flag.”
Earlier this week, Scottish politicians expressed “deep concerns” about the lack of engagement from the UK government before it announced plans to house asylum seekers in Highland military barracks.
In a letter to UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Wednesday, Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville raised concerns over increased community tensions.
She said: “While asylum policy and the use of hotels as emergency accommodation is the responsibility of the UK Government, I am deeply concerned and dismayed about the lack of engagement from the Home Office with the Scottish Government, Highland Council and local service providers.
“Decisions, such as the use of sites as large as Cameron Barracks, must be made in partnership with local government.”
In a joint statement, council convener Bill Lobban, leader Raymond Bremner and opposition leader Alasdair Christie said: “Our main concern is the impact this proposal will have on community cohesion, given the scale of the proposals as they currently stand.
“Inverness is a relatively small community, but the potential impact locally and across the wider Highlands appears not to have been taken into consideration by the UK Government.”
