Stabbed asylum seeker's anger

Davoud Rasul Naseri looks from his flat in Sighthill

An Iranian asylum seeker who was stabbed in the back in Glasgow has spoken of his anger towards the city and its people.

Davoud Rasul Naseri, 22, was injured during the attack on Tuesday night when he took out rubbish from his flat in the Sighthill area of Glasgow.

Mr Naseri's comments came as Scottish ministers stepped into the refugee row and pledged more action to ease the racial tensions in Glasgow.

Police have been continuing to hunt for his attacker and the person responsible for the fatal stabbing of asylum seeker Firsat Dag, 22, who died on Sunday night.

Mr Naseri shows his wound to photographers

Mr Naseri spoke about Tuesday's attack through an interpreter and in the presence of his solicitor Paul Hannah.

He said: "I did not decide to come to Britain. I suddenly found myself in the UK and I decided to apply for asylum here.

"At first I was very happy that I was in a safe country and I can live in comfort and in safety.

"But it didn't last too long. Regarding what is going on recently, I don't feel safe any longer. I just feel that I hate Glasgow and I hate the people in Glasgow.

"I feel that with this recent situation that I just want to stay in my country, it would be better for me because I would be killed because of my aims, not because of nothing."

Racial tensions

Mr Naseri, who came to the UK 18 months ago, said that he never thought life in Scotland "was going to be this way before coming here".

He added: "The idea I got was that the United Kingdom had very good people, very hospitable people but now my idea regarding the people has completely changed.

"I am not going to think in this way any more."

Malcolm Chisholm: Talks with consortium

Earlier in the day, Deputy Health Minister, Malcolm Chisholm, met with the Scottish Asylum Seekers Consortium, to discuss ways of easing racial tensions in Glasgow.

After the meeting he said that ministers would be discussing further help measures later this week.

He also said that in the next few weeks he would announce plans for an "integration forum" to help "the sizeable number of asylum seekers" settle into Scottish life.

The minister's call for other councils to "play a role" in dealing with asylum seekers and refugees appears to have been received positively.

On Wednesday evening he said that the consortium was at an "advanced stage of negotiations with three councils" to take asylum seekers.