- Lewisham Council plans to stop cooperating with Home Office immigration raids following reports of data misuse.
- The Green-led initiative aims to create a corridor of sanctuary across London boroughs.
- A vote scheduled for late July twenty twenty-six could end the repurposing of environmental health data.
A Green-led council in London plans to stop cooperating with the Home Office on immigration raids after officials reportedly found requests to use environmental-health data against undocumented workers in hospitality.
Lewisham Borough Council is scheduled to vote next week, in late July 2026, on a motion to review and terminate systems used to support deportations and raids. The borough has significant Green Party presence and leadership.
Council officials reportedly uncovered internal communications from the agency’s immigration enforcement team seeking assistance with “joint operational visits.” The request involved environmental-health information normally collected during restaurant inspections.
Free toolUSCIS Receipt Number DecoderThat information could help identify undocumented workers in the hospitality sector, according to the account of the council’s findings. The proposed review would cover all systems of cooperation connected to deportations and raids.
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, endorsed the plan on July 15, 2026. He said Green councils wanted to create a “corridor of sanctuary” across London.
“I’m proud of brave, compassionate Green councils in London working to create a corridor of sanctuary where nobody, no matter where they’re from or what papers they have, has to live in fear of being snatched away from the place they call home.”
The agency defended joint operations in a statement issued the same day. It said local information-sharing supports intelligence-led visits and helps address criminal activity linked to immigration enforcement.
“While all immigration enforcement visits are intelligence-led, we make no apology for joining forces with local authorities to enable information sharing and ultimately fighting criminals who fuel immigration crime.”
The disagreement now turns on which local records can be used for national enforcement. The council’s motion would examine cooperation arrangements rather than a single inspection programme.
Lewisham’s vote follows a dispute over repurposed inspection records
Environmental-health information generally supports restaurant inspections and food-safety enforcement. Council officials say the reported request would give those records a second use: helping locate undocumented workers.
Councillors have described that kind of repurposing as “function creep.” The concern is that business owners could become less willing to comply with health regulations if inspection information might later be used for immigration enforcement.
The policy debate reaches beyond restaurants. The proposed motion addresses systems used for cooperation on deportations and raids, including the wider exchange of information between local services and the agency.
Undocumented residents and people with precarious status could face fewer risks from workplace inspections and “dawn raids” if the council adopts the measure. The agency disputes the broader approach.
It says local restrictions could hinder work against human trafficking and modern slavery. That argument places the Lewisham vote against the council’s concern that public-service records should not be repurposed without clear limits.
Reported enforcement increases frame the late-July decision
The vote comes amid reported increases in workplace enforcement under the Labour government since the 2024 election. The figures have been described as reaching historic highs.
| Measure | Reported increase since the 2024 election |
|---|---|
| Workplace immigration raids | 77% |
| Arrests | 83% |
The figures provide the national backdrop to a borough-level decision about local assistance and information-sharing. They do not determine the result of the council vote.
Lewisham’s motion is expected next week, in late July 2026. Its stated aim is to review existing cooperation systems and terminate those connected to deportations and raids.
Green leaders want a wider London sanctuary corridor
Lewisham is intended to be the first of several councils involved in the Green Party’s London strategy. The party has used both “green crescent” and “corridor of sanctuary” to describe a connected group of boroughs.
Under the proposed approach, local police, health inspectors and social services would be barred from assisting the agency with immigration enforcement. The strategy therefore depends on other boroughs adopting similar restrictions.
Polanski’s statement focuses on residents living in fear of removal from the places they call home. The agency’s statement focuses on intelligence-led visits, information-sharing and criminals linked to immigration crime.
The competing positions will be tested first through Lewisham’s scheduled vote. Its decision is due in late July 2026.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
