Last night Islington became the first London council to pass a These Walls Must Fall motion against immigration detention!

The motion also covers the Home Office’s ‘hostile environment’ and the rights of European citizens in the borough post-Brexit. It makes a strong statement of support of vulnerable groups who have been impacted by the Government’s immigration policies.

Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Executive Member for Community Development, says:

“The UK’s detention practice shows the human cost of the Government’s approach to creating a ‘hostile environment’ for immigration. It is deeply concerning that 30,000 people are detained each year, with no time limit and often without legal representation. Everyone, regardless of their circumstances or background, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

“Islington has a proud history of standing up for the vulnerable, the dispossessed and those seeking a better of life; from supporting the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, to welcoming Syrian refugees in the borough. I am pleased that Islington is the first Council in London to move a motion in support of the campaign to end indefinite detention, and hope others follow suit.”

The motion raises concerns about detention and resolves for the Council to make representations to Government to implement the recommendations of the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry.

While Islington is the first council in London to pass a #TheseWallsMustFall motion, it is the fourth in the UK to do so. Last November, Manchester City Council become the first local authority in Britain to pass a motion condemning immigration detention. It was followed this April by Cambridge and Brighton & Hove.

Click here to find out more about the campaign, including a handy ten-step guide to getting a motion passed in your area. (And read up on the ‘who, what, where, why’ of detention here).