In a meeting recorded and posted to the council's YouTube channel, the Royal Borough of Greenwich Overview and Scrutiny Committee convened to discuss the borough's status as a Borough of Sanctuary, and to consider future reports and upcoming executive decisions. The committee noted the progress made since the Royal Borough of Greenwich was awarded Borough of Sanctuary status in July 2023.

Here are the topics that were discussed in more detail:

Borough of Sanctuary

The committee convened to discuss the progress and future of the Royal Borough of Greenwich's status as a Borough of Sanctuary. The committee noted the progress made since the Royal Borough of Greenwich was awarded Borough of Sanctuary status in July 2023. The discussion included presentations from Jasmine Mutashami, Campaigns and Comms Manager at Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network, Laura, founder and director of Creating Ground, and Creating Ground members Karen and Felicia, who shared their experiences and perspectives on the importance of Greenwich being a Borough of Sanctuary.

Jasmine Mutashami gave a presentation on the City of Sanctuary movement, which began in 2005 in Sheffield, and how it has been implemented in Greenwich. She explained that the movement is rooted in grassroots action and hospitality, with the core values of share, embed, and learn. She noted that Greenwich joined the National City of Sanctuary Network and the local borough sanctuary council network, signed the pledge, and in 2023 became a borough sanctuary. She said that quarterly meetings are held with the council, steering group members, and individuals with lived experience, to ensure that Greenwich is a safer, more welcoming, and celebratory place for all.

Laura spoke about Creating Ground's work with migrant women in Greenwich, using participatory arts to bring people together, share experiences, and create positive change. She said that being part of the Borough of Sanctuary network meant a lot to them, as they felt part of something bigger and could learn and share experiences with other organisations working on similar issues.

Karen spoke about the opportunities of living in Greenwich, highlighting the advice hubs available and the importance of knowing where to go for support. She also mentioned her involvement in research on migrants and the safe surgery scheme, which helps people register with a GP without an ID.

Felicia shared her experiences of being part of Creating Ground and how the council has created a conducive environment for migrants to feel safe and integrated into the community. She mentioned the migrant safe surgeries, where people can access medical treatment within the policy, and the refugee week events, where different skills and cultures are showcased.

Several councillors then asked questions and made comments:

• Councillor John Fahy wished that all scrutiny meetings were so enthusiastic about their report, and said that the decision to become a Borough of Sanctuary was extremely the right one. He asked what other things could be done to enhance the project, particularly regarding space for Ukrainian groups to showcase their activities.
• Councillor Issy Cooke asked how councillors can be leaders on this work in their wards, particularly regarding the safe surgery scheme. She also wondered if the business engagement team are working with local businesses to encourage them to be welcoming spaces.
• Councillor Leo Fletcher asked what could be done better, and how to come together and share limited resources.

Councillor Mariam Lolavar, cabinet lead on health, adult social care and borough of sanctuary, responded to the points raised. She said that the council is co-producing the strategy together, and that it will be important to follow through and ensure that whatever comes after is properly followed up. She also said that there should be more integration between different migrant groups, and that celebrations should not just be for refugees and migrants, but should try to merge the different groups together.

Councillor Lolavar also addressed the issue of vandalism and graffiti, saying that it is important to report any abusive or profane language or hate crime-related issues. She emphasised that Greenwich is a welcoming borough and that everyone has a role to play in championing that.

Peter Davis, Borough of Sanctuary Service Lead, added that the council is looking to redesign its partnership arrangements to bring in more organisations, including non-specialist ones, to help gather more information, improve access and communication, and improve reach to different groups.

Jasmine Mutashami said that the movement spaces are the only time that all the different organisations and faith groups come together, and that without them, a lot of work would be duplicated and information would not be shared.

Karen added that the Citizens of the World Choir brings people together from every country, and that when they go out and sing, they bring people together and make the community a better place.

The committee requested a copy of the training video and the data dashboard mentioned in the report.

Commissioning of Future Reports

The committee reviewed the scheduled work items for the 16 October 2025 meeting and considered the scope and detail of forthcoming reports. The items scheduled for the next meeting are:

• Metropolitan Police - To invite the Superintendent leading policing the Royal Borough of Greenwich to present on policing priorities, performance, and community safety issues in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
• Borough Parks - To review the strategic planning for the parks in the borough and efforts to enhance biodiversity and climate resilience.

Councillor John Fahy noted that there was a very busy agenda for the next few months, and that there was an item relating to contract management performance and doing social value at the November meeting, but that there was a report on procurement going to cabinet. He thought that it might be useful to link the two together so that the committee could provide pre-decision scrutiny on cabinet proposals.

Forward Plan

The committee noted the upcoming executive decisions set out in the Forward Plan for the period August 2025 – November 2025, and did not request that any items be subject to scrutiny.