‘Homeless EU nationals need support, not deportation’

Bristol campaigners have welcomed a High Court ruling that the Government’s policy of deporting homeless EU nationals is unlawful.

The decision casts doubt over the council’s use of £180,000 from the Home Office’s controlling migration fund and comes in the wake of concerns that the money could be used to further marginalise an already vulnerable group.

Cleo Lake said the Home Office policy is a ‘dangerous and socially unjust’ consequence of austerity

Welcoming the High Court ruling, Green councillor for Cotham Cleo Lake, said Bristol should be seeking to support foreign nationals in need, not putting them at risk of deportation.

She previously challenged the council on its use of the Government money that was awarded to reduce the rise in migrant rough sleepers and clamp down on rogue landlords.

Bristol City Council has admitted the ruling will require some analysis and discussion, but says it is not expecting the news to have a major impact on the local programme of “supporting homeless EU nationals”.

Commenting on the Home Office policy, Lake said: “I feel that the situation is yet another dangerous and socially unjust consequence connected to austerity, where a strain on resources is leading agencies to bypass human rights for what, on the surface, might feel like quicker and cheaper actions.

“For instance, in reducing the headcount on homelessness by detention and deportation, rather than providing support services and attempting to resolve the issues systemically.

“One cause of EEA migrant homelessness is the huge increases in the rental market and it’s becoming more and more difficult for a variety of people to even secure accommodation, which is quite often precarious and overpriced.”

Since 2016, the Home Office deemed rough sleeping an abuse of EU free movement rights, but this was challenged by Public Interest Law Unit and North East London Migrant Action on behalf of two Polish men and a Latvian.

The High Court ruled that the Government’s position was contrary to EU law, describing it as “discriminatory” and “unlawful”.

The council says the funding is going to support vulnerable tenants and clamp down on slavery and exploitation

Bristol was awarded £180,474 from the controlling migration fund, which the council says is going to “conduct intelligence work to identify and target all rogue landlords in the city, whoever their tenants are, and to take enforcement action where necessary.”

But concerns have been raised about its implications, with the vice chair of Bristol City of Sanctuary, Caroline Beatty, stressing the council needs to “divorce itself from cooperation with the Immigration Enforcement Agency” in the way that it implements the programme.

Following the High Court decision, a Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “The ruling will require some analysis and discussion with the Home Office, but we are not currently anticipating any major impact on our local programme of supporting homeless EU nationals.

“In the meantime, we will continue to work with St Mungo’s and our own Streetwise team to access advice and guidance, emergency night shelter accommodation and support to voluntarily re-connect with family and home.”

Read more: Is the council’s controlling migration fund betraying Bristol’s City of Sanctuary status?