In response to the UK Government’s new Immigration White Paper, Tom Martin, Director of City of Sanctuary Sheffield, said:

At City of Sanctuary Sheffield, we believe in a country where people are safe, welcomed, and treated with dignity. The Government’s new immigration proposals, and the rhetoric accompanying them, take us further away from this vision. 

Let’s be clear: yes, there is deep inequality in our society. But it is not caused by people seeking sanctuary. It is the result of political decisions: to underinvest in our public services, to allow a housing crisis to deepen, and to prioritise the super-rich over working people. Scapegoating migrants is a dangerous distraction; one that divides communities, fuels xenophobia, and hides the real roots of inequality. 

It’s been less than a year since towns across the UK, including Sheffield, faced far-right violence that targeted people seeking sanctuary and communities of colour. We have seen first-hand the harm caused when government rhetoric and policies encourage hostility.  

These are not the actions of a country committed to building stronger communities. They are the actions of one trying to blame the most marginalised instead of addressing systemic failures. These policies isolate, exclude and punish people who are ready to contribute. People who deserve protection and a fair chance, not hostility. 

There is a better way.  

In Sheffield, we see every day how people seeking sanctuary enrich our city: as carers, students, volunteers, neighbours, colleagues, and friends. We know that when people are welcomed, they contribute creatively and help build thriving communities. When people are properly supported and included – to study, to work, to live in a stable home – they thrive. Safety turns into belonging. 

We call on politicians, the media and our communities to reject scapegoating and to join us in building a future rooted in welcome, justice and solidarity.