Make 07th May A Vote for Migrant Justice
Why local elections matter
The local elections will be held on 07th May 2026 – amid political turmoil in the UK and globally. These are likely to be some of the most disputed and polarised elections in recent times.
Local elections matter because they decide who runs councils and local authorities, and those councils make decisions that affect our lives every day – from housing and transport, to green spaces and how everyone in our community is supported – and including people seeking safety.
The period ahead of the elections is an important opportunity for you, as a constituent, to sound out candidates from different parties about the issues that matter to you and your community and to make these issues your local candidates’ priorities.
Immigration has been high on the political agenda for some time and will likely surface during the local elections too. This is our chance to find out which candidates are supportive of migrant justice, and hold them to account once they are elected. Waltham Forest Migrant Action is calling on candidates to pledge their support for migrant justice.
What are we calling for?
Based on our work at the drop in and with a range of local organisations, as well as internal research we have identified key issues that should be prioritised by elected candidates, because they will make a tangible difference to people seeking safety in our borough.
Waltham Forest Migrant Action is calling on candidates to pledge their support for migrant justice and create a borough of sanctuary, where everyone – regardless of their immigration status – is safe, welcome, supported and treated with dignity and respect.
More specifically, we are asking candidates to:
- Commit to remaining a Borough of Sanctuary
- End council complicity in immigration raids
- Support free access to English classes
- Fix temporary housing
Our asks explained
- Borough of Sanctuary – commit to supporting people seeking safety and support the re-accreditation process.
City of Sanctuary UK is a charitable organisation that co-ordinates, develops and supports networks of individuals and organisations working to build a culture of welcome for people seeking sanctuary. They support local voluntary and community led groups, charities, councils, schools, universities, libraries, faith institutions, art organisations and many others to create inclusive and welcome communities across the UK.
In 2023, Waltham Forest became a Borough of Sanctuary (BoS). The BoS framework has been a positive step in guiding the Council’s work in this area, including regular steering group meetings, reviewing progress against agreed target areas and actions, a greater focus on the challenges that people seeking safety face in the borough and fostering more dialogue with community based organisations. The BoS accreditation ends this year, and the steering committee is currently reviewing progress against a set of agreed actions.
This is an opportunity for candidates to commit to re-accreditation, build on the successes, address areas for improvement and strengthen the framework to make it more transformative for people seeking safety.
- Ending Council complicity in immigration raids
In recent months, there has been a significant increase in immigration raids across the UK. At the same time, we have also witnessed a rise in the number of detentions and deportations – including people being removed through the Government’s ‘one in – one out’ deal with France. This is a very concerning development in light of what is happening in the US with ICE and recent comments by Reform UK that they would support ICE-like immigration raids and deportations.
Immigration enforcement raids are violent and racist. In their report, ‘Immigration Raids – An Anatomy of Racist Intimidation’, Migrant Rights Network clearly outline how the State operates to target particular nationalities because they are seen as easily removable. Raids become ‘justified’ by targeting people who are undocumented and have been increasingly framed as a problem in the current anti-immigration public narrative and policy making. Raids are the Hostile Environment in action – a mechanism to spread fear amongst communities.
Waltham Forest’s BoS framework recognises the horrific impact of hostile policies and commits to ‘proactively challenge the healthcare implications of the hostile environment in local settings through advocacy’. There is however no specific mention of immigration raids and their impact on the local community.
In fact, Waltham Forest Council were complicit in multi-agency raids in summer 2025, when they engaged with immigration enforcement officers in raids on local businesses, and were called out by local groups. Immigration raids have no place in our community. Now is therefore a critical time to ask candidates to commit to ending council complicity in all immigration raids.
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision
Being able to speak and understand English is vital for life in the UK. It helps people be part of their communities, make friends, get jobs, feel at home and connect. Yet for many people making the UK their home, learning English is out of reach.
As part of the recent policy changes announced by the government, from March 2027, there will be a requirement to demonstrate stronger English language proficiency – to the equivalent of A level standard. We already know that this will be a major challenge for many people who are seeking safety – even for those who already have strong language competencies. We therefore need to ensure that the government will fund adequate English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision for everyone who needs it.
Waltham Forest currently has very good ESOL provision and is often cited as an example by other London Boroughs. We are therefore calling on candidates to support free access to ESOL classes for anyone who wants it and continue to prioritise and fund this service in future.
- Housing – Fix the Five Basics in Temporary Accommodation
The UK, London in particular, is experiencing an acute housing crisis. Migrant communities – both documented and undocumented – are at the sharp end of it and more likely to end up in Temporary Accommodation (TA) or to be housed in inadequate conditions.
According to Citizens UK’s report ‘A Long Way from Home’, in 2024 Waltham Forest supported 1,403 households in TA. A recent article in the local press show that the number of households in TA has risen significantly to 1,700 (according to council data from October – almost a 90% increase on the 900 households recorded in 2022). Waltham Forest’s Homelessness Strategy shows that 9 in every 1,000 residents live in TA. The exact number of households from migrant background affected is unclear, but we know from our own internal research that ‘housing’ key challenges for the people who come to the drop-in for advice, including:
- Risk of rising homelessness: Refugees and migrants are increasingly placed in insecure, temporary accommodation due to a lack of long-term housing options
- Homelessness & Private Rented Sector Offers (PRSO): link between homelessness and Waltham Forest council’s use of PRSO, often made outside London. Rejection of these PRSO offers risks individuals falling into homelessness.
- Temporary accommodation (TA): Hostels and other forms of temporary accommodation are consistently full, leaving limited options
Barriers to accessing decent, secure and affordable housing are multiple and complex, particularly for migrant communities. Therefore, as a first step, WFMA will focus on tackling the pressing issues highlighted in the ‘Fix the Five Basics’ campaign.
Fix the Five Basics aims to ensure that stays in TA are as short, safe and healthy as possible, and a step towards ending the use of TA altogether.
1 in 50 Londoners are currently stuck in ‘temporary’ accommodation, and too often, they lack one or more of these five basic amenities:
- Cooking facilities: a place to prepare a hot meal
- Laundry access: a way to wash clothes that is affordable and easy-access
- WiFi: reliable, free internet connection WiFi
- Secure storage: somewhere to safely store personal belongings
- Clear information: updates on rights, repairs and move‑on plans
First, make sure you’ve registered to vote. There is still time. You have until 11:59pm on 20 April 2026 to register for the elections on 7th May 2026.
As a local constituent your voice and your vote matter. Let candidates know that one of the issues you would like them to prioritise in the next four years is migrant justice.
You will likely have received local elections leaflets from candidates standing in your ward, in which case you can write to them – see email template below. Or, even better, you may get a knock on the door, which means you can ask them directly.
However, if you haven’t heard, you can find out who your local candidates are by checking on: Who can I vote for or Waltham Forest Council.
Email template
Please feel free to use the template below, or write a message in your own words.
Subject line: Do you support migrant justice?
Dear [insert candidate name]
The local elections are three weeks away, and as a supporter of Waltham Forest Migrant Action, I want to make sure that my vote is a vote for migrant justice.
We have seen how over the last 15 years, anti-migrant media narrative and policy making have become increasingly toxic, with horrendous consequences for people seeking safety. Now we have an opportunity to ensure that Waltham Forest is a place where everyone – regardless of their immigration status – is safe, welcome, supported and treated with dignity and respect.
Will you pledge your support for migrant justice and, if you are elected, focus on implementing the following policies:
- Commit to remaining a Borough of Sanctuary
- End council complicity in immigration raids
- Support free access to English classes
- Fix temporary housing
For more details about the asks, click here.
Please let me know your position.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Your sincerely,
[Insert your name and email] to get a response.
Forward your response to: [email protected]
Over the course of the next three weeks, we will be organising and joining various initiatives. We’d love your support:
📝 Write to your candidates
🔸 Waltham Forest Citizens Accountability Assembly, 22nd April. Join us and other community groups as we present our priorities to local candidates. The event will take place in Walthamstow at 6.30 PM. If you are interested in joining please rsvp to: [email protected]
🔸 Join our information stalls to raise awareness about migrant justice and our campaign.
📆 On Saturday 25th April, between 11.00 am and 2.00 pm, we will be in Walthamstow Town Square – near Walthamstow Central Library.
📆 On Saturday 02 May, between 12.00 and 3.00 pm, we will near St John’s Church as part of the Shake the High Road festival in Leytonstone.
Please pop by, say hi and pick up some flyers. We’d love to see you.
💥 Or you can volunteer for us on the day. If you are interested in helping on the stall, please contact us: [email protected]
👉🏾 Watch this space for more information about what’s coming up and keep an eye on our social media channels for regular updates.
Waltham Forest Migrant Action 