A new report highlights some of the great work Brighton & Hove is doing as a City of Sanctuary – and how it can improve in the future.
Put together by the council, the University of Sussex and Sanctuary on Sea, it draws on the lived experiences of many of the people who have migrated to our city.
The report, ‘What does it mean to be a City of Sanctuary?’, was launched at an event on Thursday 3 October at the Sussex County Cricket Club in Hove.
It was welcomed by Leader of the Council Bella Sankey and Cabinet Member for Communities, Equalities and Human Rights Councillor Leslie Pumm, alongside partner organisations working to support refugees in the city and beyond.
The report looks at the effectiveness of the support in the city in key areas such as health, housing, education and access to legal advice.
It includes recommendations, examples and success stories from other cities to inspire future work and help us better understand the needs of people arriving in our city. The aim is to shape the support they get so they can make their lives here and thrive.
A key element of the research was to look at creative housing models in other parts of the UK and Europe to see what might work in Brighton & Hove. This also has the potential to support other residents in insecure housing.
While the city has the largest network of nurseries, schools and colleges of sanctuary in the UK, the report outlines the need to plug the gap in support for 16- to 18-year-old sanctuary seekers. We will also continue to ensure that all children arriving here get the support they need to thrive at school.
We’ll explore new routes into employment for migrants and refugees by seeking out businesses that wish to take part in an Employers of Sanctuary trial.
We’ll also be working with health partners to find the most effective way to use the City of Sanctuary mental health resource pack, which takes a holistic, multi-dimensional approach to supporting sanctuary seekers.
To help with accessing services, integration and information sharing, we will look into developing a Buddy app for newcomers to Brighton & Hove.
Brighton & Hove is a diverse city, with the 2021 census data showing that 20% of the population were born outside the UK.
As a city, we are committed to being a welcoming place of safety, acceptance and freedom of expression for all – and to offer sanctuary for people fleeing violence and persecution.
We have supported 81 resettled refugees from Syria under the government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, 130 people under two schemes for Afghan nationals and 683 people under the Homes for Ukraine scheme; we have also received 795 Hong Kong British nationals.
As of September 2024, there were around 130 people in asylum accommodation, and 53 unaccompanied children in the care of the council.
Council Leader Bella Sankey said: “I'm really pleased to support the launch of this new report on our migrant and refugee communities – to try and better understand their needs, and how we as a council can better support people as they arrive in our city and make their lives here.
“More than 20% of Brighton & Hove's population were born outside the UK, and we have a higher migrant population than elsewhere in the southeast – and much of England.
“As we strive to be an accredited City of Sanctuary, it’s incredibly important that we do what we can to support people with healthcare, housing and education – as well as the vital legal advice they need to move on with their lives, to live in sanctuary and comfort.
“I'm grateful to all organisations and the University of Sussex academics who have conducted excellent research to produce this report.
“I'm looking forward to working with partners and putting the outcomes of the report into practice to make Brighton & Hove a true City of Sanctuary.”
Jo Wilding, senior lecturer in public and migration law at the University of Sussex, said: “It was great to have the opportunity to work with Sanctuary on Sea and the city council on this piece of work.
“We started out by asking where we are now as a City of Sanctuary, what would be the dream, and what have other cities done that might work here in Brighton & Hove, to improve the way we look after precarious migrants.
“I think the report showcases some of the brilliant things that are already happening here and lays out some exciting ideas and strategies that we can adopt, to make the city better for everyone who lives here.”
Michael Collyer, head of Sanctuary on Sea, said: "Sanctuary on Sea is delighted to have been involved in this research.
“Our role was to ensure that people seeking sanctuary were fully involved in identifying the parameters of the research and could contribute in key ways. It's great to see that migrants’ voices appear powerfully in the text.”
