Lewisham recognised at City of Sanctuary annual award celebrations

Refugee families resettled in Lewisham celebrating the award with Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham; Cllr Kevin Bonavia, Cabinet Member for Democracy, Refugees and Accountability; and representatives from Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network.

Lewisham, the first Borough of Sanctuary in the UK, was officially awarded Council of Sanctuary status by the national charity earlier this year. 

The award celebrations brought together local authorities from across the country to share their experiences and recognise the ongoing work to offer sanctuary to all those fleeing violence and persecution.

As part of the event, Cllr Kevin Bonavia, Cabinet Member for Democracy, Refugees and Accountability, was re-elected Chair of the City of Sanctuary Local Authority Network and presented Lewisham’s journey to becoming a Borough of Sanctuary over the last few years.

Since 2018, Lewisham has:

• Resettled 47 refugee families from Syria, Afghanistan and other areas of conflict;

• Committed to welcoming an additional 100 child refugees;

• Refused to collaborate with the Home Office on new immigration rules allowing deportation of rough sleepers and removed the member of Home Office staff embedded in the Council;

• Promoted the Doctors of the World ‘Safe Surgeries’ scheme to ensure better access to healthcare for migrant communities, with 27 GPs signed up;

• Lobbied the Government on refugee resettlement, No Recourse to Public Funds and treatment of asylum seekers in initial accommodation.

Cllr Kevin Bonavia, Cabinet Member for Democracy, Refugees and Accountability, said:

“We are incredibly proud of our work in becoming a Borough of Sanctuary and it is great to be recognised for that by City of Sanctuary.

“From resettling refugees and welcoming unaccompanied minors, to lobbying the Home Office and improving access to healthcare for migrant communities, we are committed to making Lewisham an open and inclusive borough for all. I hope that Lewisham’s experiences of becoming a Borough of Sanctuary will inspire other local authorities to follow our lead.

“At a time when the Government is failing in its obligations to refugees and asylum seekers, it is vital that communities like Lewisham stand up for the rights of refugees and continue to be welcoming and inclusive places. The Nationality and Borders Bill will only make matters worse for those fleeing conflict and persecution and we will continue to campaign against it as it progresses through the House of Lords.”

Sian Summers-Rees, Chief Officer, City of Sanctuary stated:

"We were delighted to award Lewisham Council with Council of Sanctuary status earlier this year, after a rigorous assessment which included people with lived experience and local voluntary sector organisations.

"They were the first local authority to be awarded Council of Sanctuary status since the launch of the City of Sanctuary Local Authority Network, which Lewisham is currently chairing – showing leadership not only locally, but also nationally. Their work towards a welcoming environment has set a high bar for others to follow. There is a strong moral and practical imperative for local authorities to apply solidarity-based approaches to their work with people seeking sanctuary.

"Since 2018, Lewisham Council has already done many things to achieve this vision. However, we know the Council is one part of the puzzle. There are many complex issues we still need to tackle together – such as the cruel nature of the NHS charging regime, and homelessness and destitution amongst refugees and migrants.”