Our response to the Home Office earned settlement consultation

Cllr Andrew Dixon, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities and Co-Chair of Waltham Forest Borough of Sanctuary, Averil Pooten-Watan, Waltham Forest Citizens and St. Barnabas and Co-Chair of Waltham Forest Borough of Sanctuary, and all Waltham Forest Borough of Sanctuary Steering Group partners have released a joint statement after sending a response to the Home Office's earned settlement consultation:

Waltham Forest Borough of Sanctuary partners have come together to respond to a consultation on proposed Home Office changes to the immigration system to express our serious concerns about these proposals. 

We are concerned about the impact these proposals would have on the individuals and families affected, the impact they would have on council and voluntary sector services, and the wider implications for everyone living in Waltham Forest. 

The recent consultation on ‘earned settlement’ set out proposed changes to when people will be granted permanent settlement in the UK. The Home Office is proposing to extend the standard route to settlement from five to ten years, but for some groups they are proposing that this could be as long as 15 to 20 years or more.

As a borough, we are proud of our diversity, and we are proud of our history as a place of welcome for people who have come from across the world to make this their home, to put down roots here, and to contribute to the life of our borough. 

Our status as a Borough of Sanctuary is an expression of this history and these values. Waltham Forest has been recognised as a Borough of Sanctuary since 2023. This means the Council, community groups and public services work in close partnership to build a culture of welcome and networks of support for those seeking sanctuary. 

The Borough of Sanctuary Steering Group has come together to submit a joint response to this consultation because of the serious concerns we have about the potential impact of these proposals.

We fully recognise the significant pressures on the national asylum system, and we want to see an effective system governing immigration. However, we firmly believe that immigration rules must be fair and humane and should enable individuals and families to put down roots, to thrive and to contribute fully to the life of our community. 

Our response to this consultation reflects our concern that many of the proposals on ‘earned settlement’ are directly contrary to these principles. In our response we have highlighted four over-arching issues of particular concern: 

1. Impact on children, families, and safeguarding – we have serious concerns about the impact that extended settlement routes, and the retrospective application of these, will have on the wellbeing, education and identity of children growing up in our borough. Excluding families from mainstream welfare support risks deepening child poverty. Requiring dependants to qualify independently risks undermining family unity, and makes transition from education to employment, or to further and higher education, more difficult.
    
2. Increased risk of destitution and homelessness – 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. 
    
3. Increased insecurity undermines strong communities – 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. This would directly undermine our ongoing work to build strong, resilient and cohesive communities in Waltham Forest. 
    
4. Strain on voluntary and community organisations – we are also deeply concerned about proposals to reduce waiting times for settlement based on volunteering contributions. Volunteering is the lifeblood of our communities, and many migrants are already active volunteers. But this proposal would go against the very spirit of volunteering, place significant and unfunded additional pressure on VCSE organisations, and would draw trusted community groups into immigration enforcement, undermining relationships and eroding trust with the very communities they exist to serve.

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.

Cllr Andrew Dixon:

Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities 
Co-Chair of Waltham Forest Borough of Sanctuary

Averil Pooten-Watan:

Waltham Forest Citizens and St. Barnabas
Co-Chair of Waltham Forest Borough of Sanctuary

All Waltham Forest Borough of Sanctuary Steering Group partners