Proposed by Cllr Wade, seconded by Cllr Gotch

Liberal Democrat member motion

This Council welcomes the excellent work done by its officers, by charities and by volunteers since March in ensuring that the ‘everyone in’ policy worked for all our Rough Sleeper residents, whether they were UK or other European nationals, and whether or not they had recourse to public funds.

While the pandemic has raged, all those who wanted to be ‘in’ have been found a room of their own, and now more MHCLG (Ministry of Homes, Communities and Local Government) funding will make a permanent home a reality for people who must have thought the community didn’t care about them.

Meanwhile, the Home Office has introduced a draconian policy wholly at variance with the approach from MHCLG during covid, which will come into force on the day the UK finally leaves the EU: 1 January 2021.

The change to the Immigration Rules will mean that for any EU National, simply being a rough sleeper will be a ground for deportation (however unfortunate or temporary his or her sad circumstances may be).

Inevitably Rough Sleepers will become fearful of seeking help from Council officers or outreach teams, and may retreat into the clutches of the underground economy, exploitation and at worst modern slavery. Oxford will not be immune from this hidden nightmare.

This Council therefore calls on the Leader:

1.     To write to the Secretary of State for the Home Office and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ask that the changes to the Immigration Rules shall not be implemented.

2.     To confirm the City Council’s support for the ‘everyone in’ policy for people rough sleeping on our streets, whether or not they are UK or other EU Nationals or have recourse to public funds.

This motion was not taken as the time allocated for debate had finished.