Right to Rent Open Letter

"Right to Rent checks are a key plank of the Hostile Environment for migrants, which Theresa May created as Home Secretary. This March, the High Court found that the scheme caused racial discrimination against British ethnic minorities and foreign nationals with a right to reside in the UK. JCWI succeeded in its claim, and the Court declared the scheme incompatible with fundamental human rights.  Landlords, scared of making mistakes with complex immigration paperwork, have simply been taking the safest route: renting only to people able to produce a British passport or who “look and sound” British.

It is an outrage that a Government policy is causing racial discrimination and forcing ethnic minorities into poorer and more exploitative housing by limiting their access to the housing market. But when presented with this damning court ruling, which states the scheme cannot be fixed or justified and must be scrapped to avoid human rights violations, Sajid Javid has refused to act. Instead, he is arguing that the Government should be allowed to cause racial discrimination against BAME groups and foreign nationals in pursuit of immigration control, even though the court ruling shows there is no evidence that the scheme works.

This is deeply immoral. We are proud in the UK to have a tolerant society which regards all racism as unacceptable. The Government must not be encouraging racism to pursue Theresa May’s hostile environment. We need an immigration system that treats all of us with dignity and respect, not one where the ability of minority families to build a home is considered expendable.

Sajid Javid has refused to act, but Parliament has an opportunity to create a fair, humane and evidence-based immigration system through the Immigration Bill. Parliamentarians must stand up for migrants’ rights by taking this chance to scrap the Right to Rent Checks and end the Hostile Environment.”

The following 81 individuals and organisations signed the open letter: