Cabinet member for stronger communities Andrew Dixon has warned that the proposals could “deepen child poverty and increase homelessness” amongst people with asylum or refugee backgrounds, reports Marco Marcelline

Waltham Forest Council and community figures have called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to “fundamentally rethink” planned changes to permanent residency rules.

In a joint statement, councillor Andrew Dixon, the cabinet member for stronger communities joined co-chair of Waltham Forest Borough of Sanctuary Averil Pooten-Watan in warning that the proposals could “deepen child poverty and increase homelessness” amongst people with asylum or refugee backgrounds.

The Home Office has unveiled plans to increase the standard route to permanent settlement from five to ten years. For some groups, the pathway to permanent residency could be stretched to 15 or even 20 years, with elements applied retrospectively.

Waltham Forest has been a borough of sanctuary since 2023, which sees the council, voluntary organisations and public services working in tandem to build a “culture of welcome for people seeking sanctuary”.

In their statement, Cllr Dixon and Pooten-Watan acknowledged that the immigration system must be “effective”, but warned current plans would complicate the ability of families to integrate and contribute to society.

They said: “Expanding the number of families excluded from mainstream support, and penalising access to public funds, risks significantly increasing destitution and homelessness. 

“As well as the devastating impact on individuals and families affected, this will likely lead to significantly increased pressure on council services and resources, including child social care, and increased pressure on voluntary sector safety nets, with knock-on impacts for everyone in our borough.”

The pair continued: “Much longer waits for permanent residency would increase insecurity and uncertainty, making it harder for migrants to integrate, secure employment, and contribute fully to our local community and economy.

“As such, we are urging the Home Secretary to fully consider the potential impact of these proposals and to fundamentally rethink the approach to settlement outlined in the consultation.”

The Home Office was contacted for comment. 

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