Lewisham Council has become the first local authority in the UK to refuse to assist Home Office immigration raids wherever legally possible, after councillors backed a motion put forward by the Green administration.
The motion, passed at a full council meeting at the Town Hall, commits the borough to reviewing its data-sharing and service agreements and to ensuring council resources and public funds are not used to support immigration enforcement activity.
The council’s stance has been described by supporters as part of a wider effort to protect Lewisham’s diverse communities and build a “sanctuary” approach across London. The motion also sets out plans to work with local campaign group Lewisham Anti-Raids to support migrant businesses and people targeted by raids.
Lewisham mayor Liam Shrivastava said the move was aimed at defending residents from what he called Labour’s “anti-migrant onslaught,” according to reports of the debate. The motion further raises the prospect of a wider “sanctuary corridor” involving other Green-led boroughs in the capital.
The Home Office responded by saying immigration enforcement is intelligence-led and that it makes “no apology” for working with local authorities where information sharing helps tackle criminality linked to immigration offences.
The decision is likely to prove politically contentious, with critics arguing that councils should not obstruct national immigration enforcement, while supporters say local authorities should not be drawn into operations they view as harmful to communities. The move follows concerns raised by councillors about the use of council data and services in immigration enforcement.
Lewisham’s decision will now be watched closely by other boroughs, especially Green-led councils considering similar policies. For now, it marks a significant and symbolic break with the usual level of cooperation between councils and the Home Office on immigration-related enforcement.
