Local Votes for Local Migrants

Angelo Da Costa Mengowako from Vocal Communities on their campaign to bring democracy to Waltham Forest

Waltham Forest is a special place for me, as a migrant born in Angola who moved to the UK as an inquisitive, politically conscious nine-year-old.

I feel our borough is one of the most welcoming places in the UK for migrants, whether they’re fleeing persecution or seeking a better education or work. Those, like me, who have grown up here are thankful that the UK opened its borders to people from around the world.

Our borough is one of the most diverse in the country, with more than half its residents coming from a minority ethnic background. In addition to 171,000 residents born in the UK, our borough is home to 51,000 European migrants and 55,000 from further afield. On paper, it appears fair and equal but, when polling stations open, it’s a different story.

Despite legally calling our borough home, not everyone has the same right to a say on who represents them and how their community functions. EU citizens retain their right to democracy under the Brexit agreement and Commonwealth citizens – such as those in the Windrush generation – can vote thanks to the 1971 Immigration Act but this is not the same for those of us from other countries.

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Thousands of Waltham Forest residents who are citizens of large swatches of South America, Africa and Asia must “throw away” any previous national identity to have a voice in this country, regardless of how long they have lived in England. This demonstrates a deficit in English democracy and it is not the same everywhere in the UK. If we cross the border into Wales or Scotland, all legal residents, no matter what country they were born in, have the right to vote. England’s failure to follow their example is unfair and discriminatory.

Those of us in Waltham Forest who migrated from countries outside the EU and the Commonwealth want to take part in our society – and, in many ways, we already do. According to University College London, immigrants from outside the European Economic Area contribute approximately £5.2billion to the UK economy every year, much of which will be from non-Commonwealth citizens living in England.

Regardless of our nationality, those who have settled in Waltham Forest deserve a seat at the table. I encourage you to join the Local Votes for Local Migrants campaign and help us bring the same democracy enjoyed by Scotland and Wales here.

Find out more about the campaign on https://vocalcommunities.org/

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