Celebrating International Migrants Day

Back in October, thousands of people in Lewisham came down to Deptford High Street in Lewisham to welcome Little Amal - an 11-foot puppet who had travelled from Syria to the UK, representing the journey made by so many child refugees. The warm reception Amal received by thousands of people that day is testament to the opening, welcoming and inclusive approach that exists across our country.

At a time when conversations around migration have become increasingly polarised, International Migrants Day is an opportunity to reflect on how migration has enriched the UK.

Having moved to London from Malta with my family at the age of 8, I know first-hand the important role migration has played in the lives of so many. As I grew up, I was desperate to fit in – to belong – in our street and in my school. At first, I wasn’t keen to talk about where I came from, not helped by teasing from class mates and even some teachers. But as I grew older, I began to appreciate real friends and other teachers who gave me self-confidence and a pride in my personal heritage.

That mixed experience of hostility and welcome will be only too familiar for so many people who have come to our country to start new lives here.

Right now we have a government that continues to press ahead with a policy of a “hostile environment” that plays on people’s fears of “others”. Its latest expression is in the form of the Nationality and Borders Bill, which would criminalise refugees fleeing places like Afghanistan who would dare to come here outside the government’s authorised legal routes which in turn have been cut back.

But there is an alternative approach that turns on the “hostile environment” on its head. That approach can be summed up in one word: “sanctuary”.

The principle is a simple one. Instead of presuming that a migrant is a threat or a burden until they can prove otherwise, we should first offer welcome and support and explore how they can add value to our community.

Across the UK, the principles of sanctuary are being applied by local communities, often supported by councils like Lewisham, which is the first Borough of Sanctuary in the UK, officially recognised by the national charity, City of Sanctuary, for our work supporting migrants, refugee and asylum seekers.

We’ve removed Home Office staff embedded in the Council and used the funds saved to pay for independent legal advice for residents with uncertain immigration status. When the Home Office sought to introduce new rules that would have seen rough sleepers threatened with deportation, we publicly refused to collaborate with them, alongside the Mayor of London and other councils across London.

While the Government’s cruel policy of No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) has continued to deny support to those most in need, we have been working locally to ensure migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are able to access vital services, regardless of their immigration status. 27 GPs in Lewisham are now signed up to Doctors of the World’s ‘Safe Surgeries’ scheme, helping ensure undocumented migrants can safely obtain medical advice and receive their COVID-19 vaccination, and the Council has made sure that no child is denied access to Free School Meals because of NRPF.

We’ve also worked closely with local charities such as the Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network to ensure that migrant communities can receive advice and support in relation to issues such as housing, benefits and immigration applications.

As well as supporting those already living in the UK, the crisis in Afghanistan has underlined the importance of offering sanctuary to those fleeing violence or persecution abroad. Lewisham was one of the first local authorities to commit to resettling Afghan refugees back in August and we have now begun welcoming the first families from Afghanistan to be permanently resettled in the borough. Since 2018, we’ve resettled 47 refugee families from Syria, Afghanistan and other areas of conflict, and aim to welcome 100 families in total as London’s leading borough for refugee resettlement.

While all of this rightly supports migrants in need, it is not to the wider community’s detriment. Migrants are fellow human beings who bring their own potential and variety of experience. They have been the backbone among the key workers that have held up our NHS and other public services in the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of Lewisham’s refugees have been volunteering providing support to people shielding, and a junior doctor from Syria has been helping with vaccinations at the local hospital.

So on International Migrants Day let’s take on the divisive, hostile approach of “them and us” and instead recognise and celebrate that they are us and we are all better for it.