Green council plots 'mass community resistance' to Home Office raids on illegal migrants

A Green council has revealed plans for so-called "mass community resistance" to Home Office raids on illegal migrants.

Lewisham Council in London, led by Mayor Liam Shrivasta, has vowed to refuse to assist enforcement operations targeting migrants with no right to be in Britain.

His administration passed a motion pledging not to use council resources or public money to assist with any raids.

It will also establish a "clear firewall" between immigration enforcement and Lewisham Council - where the Greens have a nearly three to one majority over Labour.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

The council has also committed to working with Lewisham Anti-Raids, a group which mobs Home Office vans which taking migrants to detention centres.

The group's Instagram page features an illustration of a burning Home Office van with smashed windows.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the image was "tantamount to incitement to violence" and is now calling for a police investigation against the campaign group.

He told The Telegraph: "Imagine if this was a picture of a migrant hotel, not a Home Office van. Whoever posted that would probably get arrested and prosecuted for incitement to violence, just like Lucy Connolly did.

"I expect the police to investigate this. Inciting violence against public authorities carrying out laws is disgraceful. We live in a country where laws are decided by debate and democracy, not by mob violence.

"It is deeply concerning that an extreme left-wing, open-borders council, run by the Green Party, is seeking to prevent the Home Office from enforcing laws that Parliament has passed."

Lewisham Anti-Raids is part of a larger nationwide Anti-Raids network, which encourages communities to "challenge raid squads" and to "physically stop arrest vans".

It also encourages people to "resist immigration raids in their homes, workplaces and neighbourhoods" and to resist inside detention centres.

LATEST FROM LONDON'S COUNCILS:

• ‘It makes the public less safe!’ Green Party activist defends council's refusal to support immigration raids
• Green council threatens to not cooperate with Home Office because immigration enforcement 'divides communities'
• Fury as woke councils host pro-migrant 'family-friendly' film events for 'Refugee Week'

Lewisham voted on the anti-immigration enforcement measure after officials uncovered emails from the Home Office's immigration enforcement team asking for help with "joint operational visits".

Hau Yu-Tam, a Green councillor, put forward the motion, pointing to a nail bar which was raided for a second time in May 2026.

She said: "A source said that just as in January, the raid targeted East Asian women workers. They were not arrested but filmed being handcuffed and intimidated by a large team of officers.

"There have been other raids across Lewisham: in car washes, Chinese takeaways, in restaurants and more. Migrant centres have faced threats of violence."

A spokesman for Lewisham Anti-Raids said: "The Government's immigration system hurts communities and kills. People die in asylum accommodation in the UK, and too many lose their lives on their way: in lorries, in the Channel or the Mediterranean.

"The struggles of migrants entering Europe do not end once you've crossed the border, as we are often faced with legal challenges or forced to work in exploitative conditions.

"Borders are made by the people at the top to dehumanise and build hierarchies based on colonialism, racism and class."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Immigration enforcement visits are vital to root out unscrupulous employers and disrupt illegal workers abusing the system.

"While we always want to join forces with local authorities, their decisions won’t hinder our operations when fighting immigration crime.

"Since coming into power, we have increased immigration enforcement action to the highest level in British history. This has delivered an 83 per cent rise in illegal working arrests and a 77 per cent rise in raids between July 1, 2024, to Dec 31, 2025."

GB News has approached the Green Party for comment.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter