CLAUDIA WEBBE is leading a parliamentary campaign that is calling on the government to scrap its recent immigration policy that makes rough sleeping grounds for refusing or cancelling someone’s right to remain in the UK.

The MP for Leicester East has created an Early Day Motion (EDM) that has been widely supported from cross-party members including Labour MP Diane Abbott, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran and Scottish National Party MP Dr Philippa Whitford.

The EDM calls for the government to abolish its current immigration policy, fearing that it “will push people further away from seeking support and will also make people more vulnerable to exploitation.”

Although the government have indicated that the deportation of rough sleepers will not happen often, the EDM still urges them to work towards ending rough sleeping in the UK altogether, notwithstanding someone’s immigration status.

Webbe has labelled the potential deportation of rough sleepers as another example of the government’s “mistreatment and demonisation” of asylum seekers.

In her motion, she also wrote: “It has sadly been a tried and tested technique of reactionary governments to gild their destructive administrations with a toxic veneer of appearing ‘strong’ on immigration.

“Yet, this divide and rule tactic has only ever brought misery to all working people, regardless of their country of birth.

“Throughout this pandemic, the injustice of the No Recourse to Public Funds policy, the inadequacies of COVID-19 support packages and universal credit, spikes in domestic violence, and the failure to cap rents and cancel arrears continue to leave more and more people vulnerable to homelessness,” she explained.

“The government must revoke the discriminatory new Immigration Rule and set-in place a plan to permanently eradicate rough sleeping.”