Lambeth council to fund EU residents to stay in borough

By Piriyanga Thirunimalan

Charities will get a total of £136,000 in a bid to help 40,000 EU residents remain in Lambeth post-Brexit.

Lambeth council have announced grants for Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth, the Indoamerican Migrant Refugee Organisation and Southwark Law Centre. so people can continue to live, work and study in the UK.

The council is encouraging all EU nationals to apply to the European Union Settlement Scheme so they can stay after 30 June.

Town hall leaders fear that although the scheme is free and not too difficult to complete, many people are not aware of the need to apply.

Cabinet members for the voluntary sector Cllr Donatus Anyanwu said: “We are clear, we want our European citizen residents to stay even though we have left the EU because we value their huge contribution to this borough.

“We are focusing on ensuring as many people from our diverse communities are able to access the system established by the Government.

“By partnering with well-established local charities with a strong track record of supporting our communities we can help make sure people can secure their rights to stay.”

The estimated 40,000 EU nationals in Lambeth include significant Portuguese, Police, Italian, Spanish and French communities.

Lambeth Council leader Councillor Jack Hopkins said: “While Lambeth was the borough in the country that voted most heavily for Remain and as a council we are immensely proud of that, we now left the European Union and are working to manage the impact and uncertainty that has resulted.”