Green council plans to ban officials working with Home Office on immigration raids as US-style 'sanctuary cities' spread to UK

By RORY TINGLE, HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT Published: 12:01, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 12:28, 15 July 2026 A Green council is planning to ban officials from working with the Home Office on immigration raids - as the party seeks to copy America's 'sanctuary cities' movement. Lewisham Council in south London will vote next week on a motion that would end cooperation with immigration enforcement, which is tasked with upholding the UK's immigration laws.  The Home Office uses intelligence from local authorities to select businesses for enforcement action, which aims to identify people who are in the UK illegally and fine the firms hiring them.  But Green councillors are now vying to stop this intelligence sharing as part of party leader Zack Polanski's attempt to create a 'green crescent' of 'sanctuary boroughs' across the capital.  The stunt mimics US sanctuary cities, where Democrat-run administrations have limited cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The Lewisham vote is said to be prompted by the discovery of an email from from immigration enforcement asking for help with conducting 'joint operational visits'.  Mr Polanski said: 'I'm proud of brave, compassionate Green councils in London working to create a corridor of sanctuary where nobody, no matter where they're from or what papers they have, has to live in fear of being snatched away from the place they call home.' Zack Polanski celebrates with the new Green Mayor of Lewisham, Liam Shrivastava, who was elected in May  The Home Office said immigration enforcement had a 'collaborative relationship' with Lewisham council, adding: 'While all immigration enforcement visits are intelligence-led, we make no apology for joining forces with local authorities to enable information sharing and ultimately fighting criminals who fuel immigration crime.' Green councillors dug out an email from 2023 which reveals an immigration enforcement official asking Lewisham council's food standards team for help identifying restaurants employing illegal workers.  'I am trying to establish some contacts within the council of whom we as a team can share findings with that may be of interest to the Local Authorities,' the official wrote. 'Also with the possibility of carrying out joint operational visits.'  The Green party in Lewisham now wants to review all of its spending and data-collection systems to halt any cooperation with the Home Office on raids, reports the Guardian.  Lewisham was named the UK's first ever 'sanctuary borough' in 2021 by the City of Sanctuary movement, which aims to create a welcoming environment for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.  Local authorities can join the network and, once approved, are categorised as a city or borough of sanctuary - with dozens given this status so far, including Brighton, York and Newcastle.  The Home Office announced in January that it had overseen a 77 per cent increase in the number of immigration raids since the 2024 election. They led to 12,322 arrests for illegal working, compared with 6,725 in the previous 18 months. Businesses that are regularly targeted include nail salons, car washes, barbers and convenience stores.  Your browser does not support iframes. Lewisham council will vote on the move to ban cooperation with immigration enforcement at a meeting next Wednesday, with the motion expected to pass given the Greens have 40 of the council's 54 seats. Nearby Lambeth Council has also vowed to withdraw cooperation with immigration enforcement.  Jonathan Bartley, its cabinet member for thriving neighbourhoods, suggested the raids were 'causing fear and dividing communities'.  He said in a statement last month: '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. I'm proud to represent a borough that believes in diversity, equality, and inclusion.' The Greens now lead six London boroughs after hammering Labour in the May local elections.