Council awards over £500k in grants for local refugee support

Islington Council has awarded more than £500,000 in grants for organisations helping refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in the borough.

On Wednesday (18 June), the local authority announced the funding at a “special event” in Islington Assembly Hall, held to mark Refugee Week.

Cllr Sheila Chapman, executive member for equalities, communities and inclusion, said the grants “exemplified the steps the borough is taking to continue to welcome those who have sought sanctuary in Islington”.

“By putting decision-making power in the hands of those with lived experience, we’ve ensured that the funding reflects the needs of the very people it’s designed to support,” she said.

“This is community power in action – we look forward to seeing the effects of the targeted funding over the next two years.”

Funding was given to a “diverse range” of projects helping people seeking asylum to integrate and connect with the community, the council stated.

This includes therapeutic services from the charity Freedom From Torture, public exhibitions led by the charity All Change, and “holistic” support from the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants.

Grants were also awarded to support hundreds of women in one year with legal advice, English classes, and leadership development, provided by the organisation Women For Refugee Women.

Smaller grants were given to grassroots efforts, some of which are led by people seeking asylum and those with lived experience.

A spokesperson for the Town Hall confirmed that the £510,049 in grants came from a pool of different government funding pots for supporting refugee and migrant integration.

These included £150,000 from Afghan resettlement funding, £300,000 from the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and £50,000 from the Asylum Dispersal Grant.

When asked by the Citizen about the likelihood of future central government funding for initiatives like these, Cllr Chapman said: “We will continue to advocate for sustained investment in integration and community cohesion, so we can continue to support refugee and migrant communities in Islington.”

The Labour-run administration’s announcement comes during Refugee Week, and on the same day the government’s Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, urging that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) must “evolve” amid “fraying” public confidence.

As a signatory to the ECHR, the United Kingdom is bound by several human rights obligations that shape how it must treat refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.

Yesterday, Ms Mahmood said the convention had gone from “being used as a shield to protect” and become “a sword used to attack democratic institutions”.

The Citizen asked what the equalities chief made of the Lord Chancellor’s remarks.

“Islington is a place where everyone should feel welcomed, supported and connected,” she said.

“We are committed to upholding the rights and dignity of all residents, including people seeking asylum and refugees who have sought sanctuary in our borough.”

Cllr Chapman, along with council leader Una O’Halloran and Cllr Heather Staff, urged the Home Office to change the previous government’s “damaging” policy which had led to dangerous conditions for people living in asylum hotels.

In 2023, Islington was recognised as a Borough of Sanctuary, a status recognising the local authority’s commitment to welcoming and supporting refugees, people seeking asylum and migrants.