Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Support for Refugees

The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 20 June 2022.

It is appalling that refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan are stranded in unsuitable accommodation after coming to London to seek sanctuary. They have been through the most horrendous experiences, but rather than settling into life in the capital they are stuck and worried about the prospect of homelessness.

I’m doing all I can to build a better and fairer London for everyone by helping councils house refugees through the Right to Buy-back fund, and migrants and refugees navigate the complex immigration system by funding advice services and creating an information hub, but we need the Government to urgently provide funding to local authorities, and to voluntary sector and immigration advice services.

Instead, the Government’s inhumane attempts to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has shown their utter contempt for those in need and serves as a distraction from the urgent need to make practical changes. This cruel approach shames London. I’m urging Ministers to step forward to deliver our country’s obligations to some of the world’s most vulnerable people and ensure that support is there to help others in their time of need.