Liberal Democrat Group member motion

Council notes:

The contribution that refugees and migrants seeking sanctuary have made to the city throughout recent history, and has played its part through past and existing programmes.

We understand that Afghan refugees have been housed in hotels since their arrival. This is not a sustainable solution as it prevents these refugees from beginning to rebuild their new lives. It is also very costly to the public purse.

The rapid displacement of Ukrainian civilians calls for decisive action to provide safe routes. But the government’s response is completely out of step with both the need for protection, as well as public opinion.

Whilst other countries are waiving visas, government have announced two pathways for people to get to the UK - but both are bureaucratic, and in practice make it very difficult for people to reach safety and family in the UK.

When someone is fleeing for their life, it is simply not practical or possible to wait for months, even years. We as a council need to be ready to make the best of schemes that are announced.

At the same time, the UK government is pushing through the damaging and reactionary Nationality and Borders Bill, the biggest roll-back of refugee rights that this country has ever seen.

The Council recognises that a comprehensive, co-ordinated, cross-council and forward-looking approach is needed.

We recognise that ‘welcome’ needs a whole community approach that engages with local refugee organisations, third sector partners, and other local stakeholders.

The Council resolves to:

1.    Request that the Executive Director for Communities and People submits a report to Cabinet with options to:

a)    Develop a Sanctuary Strategy to ensure that the council can respond quickly and efficiently to humanitarian crises such as the two (Afghanistan and Ukraine) we have seen unfold in just 6 short months.

b)    Undertake a review of service areas to ensure they are accessible to people fleeing war and persecution.

c)    Undertake a review which explores an approach that incentivises private landlords to come forward with offers of housing.

d)    Mark Refugee Week (End of June) (e.g. St Helens Refugee week 2021 featured a football match between sanctuary seekers and Cllrs).

e)    Ensure the council plays its part resettling Ukrainian refugees, when details of the Humanitarian Sponsorship scheme become available.

f)     Engage proactively with local and national third sector partners and stakeholders to ensure we can mitigate against ‘hostile environment’ policies within the limits of the current legal framework.

2.    Ask the leader to write to the Home Secretary Priti Patel to highlight the challenges with the current way resettlement works, such as, but not limited to:

o   South East and the challenges around finding housing limited by benefit cap.

o   The difficulty with having many different schemes (7 in total) which creates confusion and delay in welcoming people of sanctuary seeking background (unable to plan).

o   Scrap the Nationality and Borders bill, a bill predicted to add an additional £2.7bn a year, andis likely to be unworkable and dehumanising.

Cllr Gant, seconded by Cllr Miles, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

Cllr Diggins, seconded by Cllr Chapman, proposed the amendment as set out in the briefing note.

Council debated the amended motion.  Cllr Gant accepted the amended mtion put forward by Cllr Diggins.  On being put to the vote, the amended motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Council notes:

The contribution that refugees and migrants seeking sanctuary have made to the city throughout recent history, and has played its part through past and existing programmes.

We understand that Afghan refugees have been housed in hotels since their arrival. This is not a sustainable solution as it prevents these refugees from beginning to rebuild their new lives. It is also very costly to the public purse.

The rapid displacement of Ukrainian civilians calls for decisive action to provide safe routes. But the government’s response is completely out of step with both the need for protection, as well as public opinion.

Whilst other countries are waiving visas, government have announced two pathways for people to get to the UK - but both are bureaucratic, and in practice make it very difficult for people to reach safety and family in the UK.

When someone is fleeing for their life, it is simply not practical or possible to wait for months, even years. We as a council need to be ready to make the best of schemes that are announced.

At the same time, the UK government is pushing through the damaging and reactionary Nationality and Borders Bill, the biggest roll-back of refugee rights that this country has ever seen.

The Council resolves to:

1.    Request that the Executive Director for Communities and People submits a report to Cabinet setting out what the Council is doing and considers whether it would be necessary to develop a Sanctuary Strategy to:

a)     Ensure that the council can respond quickly and efficiently to humanitarian crises such as the two (Afghanistan and Ukraine) we have seen unfold in just 6 short months.

b)    Ensure service areas are accessible to people fleeing war and persecution.

c)    Encourage private landlords to come forward with offers of housing.

d)    Mark Refugee Week (End of June) (e.g. St Helens Refugee week 2021 featured a football match between sanctuary seekers and Cllrs).

e)    Look after Ukrainian refugees, once details of the Humanitarian Sponsorship scheme become available.

f)     Engage proactively with local and national third sector partners and stakeholders to ensure we can mitigate against ‘hostile environment’ policies within the limits of the current legal framework.

2.    Ask the leader to write to the Home Secretary Priti Patel to highlight the challenges with the current way resettlement works, such as, but not limited to:

·         South East and the challenges around finding housing limited by benefit cap.

·         The difficulty with having many different schemes (7 in total) which creates confusion and delay in welcoming people of sanctuary seeking background (unable to plan).

·         The need for far more affordable housing to meet the existing and future housing needs locally

·         Scrap the Nationality and Borders bill, a bill predicted to add an additional £2.7bn a year, and is likely to be unworkable and dehumanising.

3.    Acknowledge the motion that we passed in October on Afghanistan and Refugees which raised a lot of the same issues.