Agenda item

7.1

It was moved by Councillor Maleiki Haybe, and seconded by Councillor Christine Gilligan Kubo, that this Council:-

(a)      condemns the organised racist and Islamophobic violence by far-right rioters in many towns and cities in England;

(b)      recalls that it resolved on 5 July 2023 to reaffirm our status as a City of Sanctuary;

(c)      believes the divisive rhetoric of some mainstream politicians and media has fuelled the recent violence and the ‘Stop the Boats’ narrative has contributed to division and has helped further stigmatise migrants and asylum seekers;

(d)      notes comments by Dame Sara Khan, former independent adviser for social cohesion and resilience, that successive governments have failed the British people and left local authorities struggling to deal with consistent extremist challenges;

(e)      notes the fear of violence and intimidation terrified many people of colour, especially women, and made people feel unsafe in their home city;

(f)       acknowledges that the threat of serious violence impacted negatively on businesses in the local economy;

(g)      recognises that migrants have always contributed to our society as workers, taxpayers and citizens and that segregation of asylum-seekers into different systems for homelessness, destitution and work creates further division and lack of cohesion in society;

(h)      condemns the policy of austerity, which causes hardship and resentment amongst the communities most left behind;

(i)       welcomes the scrapping of the Rwanda deportation scheme and Bibby Stockholm barge, and also thanks the police and Crown Prosecution Service for pursuing rightful convictions and for the local press for reporting on the sentences;

(j)       thanks the people of Sheffield who came out to show their support for a modern Britain, with a determination to stand against violence, intimidation and racism;

(k)      believes that the majority of people in Sheffield want an asylum system that is fair, well managed and humane; and

(l)       resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister with a copy of this motion and to ask him to consider implementing the recommendations of the Khan Review of social cohesion.

7.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Mohammed Mahroof, and seconded by Councillor Mike Levery, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of a new paragraph (c) as follows and the re-lettering of original paragraphs (c) to (l) as new paragraphs (d) to (m):-

(c)      notes that in 2023, 84,425 individuals made asylum applications in the UK;

2.       the substitution, in new paragraph (d), of the words “rhetoric of some politicians, media, and misinformation on social media sites” for the words “rhetoric of some mainstream politicians and media”;

3.       the deletion of new paragraph (i) [the original paragraph (h)] and the addition of a new paragraph (i) as follows:-

(i)       believes that asylum seekers should have the right to work if they have been waiting for a decision for more than three months, enabling them to support themselves economically and socially through community integration;

7.3

After contributions from six other Members, and following a right of reply from Councillor Maleiki Haybe, the amendment moved by Councillor Mohammed Mahroof was put to the vote and was carried.

7.3.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 62 Members; AGAINST - 11 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.  Although Labour Group Members voted for, they abstained from voting on Part 3 of the amendment. Although Sheffield Community Councillors Group Members voted for, they voted against Part 3 of the amendment.)

7.4

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)      condemns the organised racist and Islamophobic violence by far-right rioters in many towns and cities in England;

(b)      recalls that it resolved on 5 July 2023 to reaffirm our status as a City of Sanctuary;

(c)      notes that in 2023, 84,425 individuals made asylum applications in the UK;

(d)      believes the divisive rhetoric of some politicians, media, and misinformation on social media sites has fuelled the recent violence and the ‘Stop the Boats’ narrative has contributed to division and has helped further stigmatise migrants and asylum seekers;

(e)      notes comments by Dame Sara Khan, former independent adviser for social cohesion and resilience, that successive governments have failed the British people and left local authorities struggling to deal with consistent extremist challenges;

(f)       notes the fear of violence and intimidation terrified many people of colour, especially women, and made people feel unsafe in their home city;

(g)      acknowledges that the threat of serious violence impacted negatively on businesses in the local economy;

(h)      recognises that migrants have always contributed to our society as workers, taxpayers and citizens and that segregation of asylum-seekers into different systems for homelessness, destitution and work creates further division and lack of cohesion in society;

(i)       believes that asylum seekers should have the right to work if they have been waiting for a decision for more than three months, enabling them to support themselves economically and socially through community integration;

(j)       welcomes the scrapping of the Rwanda deportation scheme and Bibby Stockholm barge, and also thanks the police and Crown Prosecution Service for pursuing rightful convictions and for the local press for reporting on the sentences;

(k)      thanks the people of Sheffield who came out to show their support for a modern Britain, with a determination to stand against violence, intimidation and racism;

(l)       believes that the majority of people in Sheffield want an asylum system that is fair, well managed and humane; and

(m)     resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister with a copy of this motion and to ask him to consider implementing the recommendations of the Khan Review of social cohesion.

7.4.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote on the Substantive Motion was FOR - 73 Members; AGAINST - 0 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.  Although Labour Group Members voted for, they abstained from voting on paragraphs (i) and (m) of the Substantive Motion. Although Sheffield Community Councillors Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraph (i) of the Substantive Motion.)