Hertfordshire council to consider sanctuary status

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 10:32 · Archive

Hertfordshire County Council's cabinet will consider pursuing 'council of sanctuary' status on 14 October.

Hertfordshire County Council's cabinet will formally consider pursuing 'council of sanctuary' status on 14 October. Labour councillor Alistair Willoughby proposed the motion earlier this year. The cabinet will consider a recommendation for the county council to join the City of Sanctuary Local Authority Network and for council officials to take steps towards sanctuary recognition.

An officers' report clarifies that becoming a 'county of sanctuary' would not legally oblige the council to provide extra immigration services or grant it immigration powers. It would not require new structures or bureaucracy. Instead, it would provide a 'structured recognition framework' for reviewing how existing services, partnerships and policies work for 'new arrivals', and identify ways to improve coordination, accessibility and community cohesion.

Council leader Steve Jarvis said the move would not change the council's work or who comes to live in Hertfordshire. More than 3,600 residents have backed an e-petition calling for any decision to be put to a referendum. Conservative MP Lewis Cocking has criticised the proposal as a 'grandstanding gesture'.

Hertfordshire council to consider sanctuary status — Image: Herts Advertiser

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How it is being reported

Hertfordshire council to consider first steps towards ‘council of sanctuary’ statusCouncillors could commit Hertfordshire County Council to pursuing “council of sanctuary” status within days.Herts Advertiser · 13 Oct, 09:24
Hertfordshire council to consider first steps towards ‘council of sanctuary’ statusCouncillors could commit Hertfordshire County Council to pursuing “council of sanctuary” status within days.The Comet · 13 Oct, 09:24

In this story: Hertfordshire County Council · Alistair Willoughby · Steve Jarvis · Lewis Cocking · City of Sanctuary Local Authority Network · Hertfordshire

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