A Green-led London council has defended its plan to pull cooperation with Home Office immigration raids. Jonathan Bartley, Lambeth Council’s new cabinet member for thriving neighbourhoods, said his party wanted to create a “corridor of sanctuary” for migrants across the capital.
This week he commissioned a review of his town hall’s arrangements for sharing information and intelligence with immigration enforcement agencies.
“We know that councils up and down the country have been cooperating with immigration enforcement to the point that they’re taking part in immigration raids, and we need to be absolutely clear that that’s not happening in Lambeth,” Mr Bartley said on Wednesday. “Through freedom of information requests, we’ve discovered that more than a thousand immigration raids have taken place in the borough over the last few years.”
Mr Bartley, who was co-leader of the Green Party between 2016 and 2021, argued that Lambeth is “home to people from every corner of the world”.
Announcing the immigration review to coincide with Refugee Week, he said: “Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths and we want all residents to feel safe, valued and able to engage with public services without fear.
“Immigration raids are causing fear and dividing Lambeth's communities.
“As Refugee Week begins, it is right that we take a careful and transparent look at how information is shared in relation to immigration enforcement activity.
“We need a clear picture of what is happening now, under what circumstances information is being shared, and whether current arrangements reflect the kind of borough we aspire to be.”
“All migrants welcome,” he added. “I'm proud to represent a borough that believes in diversity, equality, and inclusion.”
But shadow home secretary Chris Philp branded the plan “extreme and dangerous”, adding that it “sends a signal to human traffickers everywhere that Britain is a soft touch”.
The Greens now lead six London boroughs after a disastrous set of local elections for Labour in the capital. In Lambeth, the Green Party has already reversed a ban on discussing motions relating to Gaza after seizing control there.
Labour suffered a series of crushing defeats in the local elections on May 7, losing control of 11 London town halls. In the last month a series of coalitions have been formed in Brent, Enfield, Barnet, Wandsworth, Haringey, Southwark and now Lambeth.
Southwark and Haringey have also agreed Green-led administrations, while the party won Waltham Forest, Hackney and Lewisham.
The Tories will run minority administrations in Wandsworth and Enfield, while Labour leaders were elected in Brent and Barnet.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
