Overview
Community cohesion means people from different backgrounds living, working and learning alongside one another with mutual respect, a sense of belonging, and shared responsibility for their community.
This information provides an overview of several issues that are affecting community cohesion in our area and causing community concern. These issues broadly relate to:
- People seeking asylum in our area
- Operation ‘Raise the Colours’ campaign
What is community cohesion?
Putting equality and inclusion front and centre is one of our guiding principles. It means ensuring everyone feels valued, respected, and able to participate fully in community life, regardless of their background, identity, or circumstances. Community cohesion leads to inclusion and inclusion leads to community cohesion.
Norwich has a long history of being an innovative and inclusive city. It is increasingly recognised for its strong economy, quality of life and vibrancy. The city is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity which we aim to both celebrate and promote. This is central to our Norwich 2040 vision and the work we do with key partners along with the city wide collaboration we did to develop our Community led plan – ‘We Are Norwich’.
We recognise the contributions that people from different backgrounds make and actively seek to tackle inequalities and foster good relationships across our communities. We want the city to be a fair, kind, accessible and an inclusive place for everyone. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy sets out our continued commitment to tackling inequality and promoting diversity.
Statement from Councillor Beth Jones, cabinet member, with responsibility for safer neighbourhoods
Norwich City Council is proud to be a caring and inclusive organisation. Our values commit us to ensuring everyone feels safe, respected, and able to thrive, whatever their background.
“We believe in people’s right to express their views – but we must also be clear that inciting fear, hate, and any form of prejudice has no place in our community.
“Community cohesion matters. It means people of different backgrounds living and working alongside one another with mutual respect and shared responsibility for how we treat each other, how we build trust, and how we respond when challenges arise.
“Our communities have a long and proud history of providing safe refuge for those fleeing conflict and persecution. Norwich is a long-standing member of the ‘City of Sanctuary’ network. This means we actively offer welcome, support and opportunities to people seeking refuge.
“We will continue to work to make improvements that are fair – both to people seeking protection and the communities that welcome them.”
People seeking asylum in our city
Our position: We recognise people’s legal right to seek asylum in this country and believe they should be treated with respect and humanity, not subjected to harassment and abuse.
Nationally, the issue of people seeking asylum in the UK has been a politically high-profile issue recently. The public debate has been characterised by emotive, sometimes inflammatory and divisive language and widespread misinformation.
For elected councillors to be able to respond proactively to support community cohesion it is important to be aware of the facts.
We are committed to providing support while individuals await the outcome of their asylum application, and afterwards if their claim is successful.
If claims for asylum are rejected by the Home Office, steps are taken to ensure those individuals do not remain here.
Factual definitions
- Asylum seeker: Someone who has left their home country, applied for asylum in the UK and is waiting for a decision. They cannot work (except in very limited circumstances after 12 months) and are housed by the Home Office through Serco (who are contracted by the Home Office), not the council.
- Refugee: Someone whose asylum claim has been accepted. They have the same rights to live, work and access services as any other resident.
- Migrant: Someone who chooses to move country for work, study or family reasons. Legal migrants contribute significantly to the local economy (eg NHS, care, hospitality).
Myth busting
- Asylum seekers are not ‘illegal’ – the UK is signed up to the UN Refugee Convention, giving everyone the right to claim asylum.
- They receive very limited financial support – £49 a week if in housing provided by Serco, or £9.95 a week if in hotels – not large daily allowances.
- They cannot claim benefits or social housing while waiting for a decision.
- They cannot choose where they live while their asylum claim is processed; accommodation is allocated by Serco on behalf of the Home Office.
- They cannot work while their claim is processed, except in a limited number of occupations; where there are shortages in the workforce and 12 months after their claim is submitted.
- They do not get special access to housing ahead of local residents.
- The council and the Home Office do not provide free mobile phones.
The city council’s role
- The Home Office is responsible for finding accommodation to house asylum seekers while they are waiting for their application to be determined. We work closely with Serco and partners to ensure accommodation provided by the Home Office is safe and appropriate.
- If people seeking asylum receive refugee status from the Home Office, they may be eligible for council housing, on the same basis as anyone else. They do not receive priority over others on the waiting list.
- To promote community cohesion and wellbeing, ensuring both asylum seekers and local residents benefit from integration.
Operation ‘Raise the Colours’ campaign
Our position: We are proud of our national flags. We regularly fly the Union flag on our building, along with other flags, to mark national events and other occasions.
Flags visually capture all we hold dear in our city and our nation – but we categorically reject how they are currently being used in such a divisive manner in our city.
Each and every one of our residents has the right to feel safe, and this is a commitment we continue to stand by with our partners – this is nothing new for us as a local council, it is an ongoing commitment. Norwich is a city where we stand together.
This summer’s ‘Raise the Colours’ campaign encouraged people to fly the St George’s or Union flag in support of English and British identity.
While many local residents have taken part in good faith as a celebration of identity, extremist organisations have sought to exploit the campaign to create tension and fear. That is not what the flag should stand for.
Practical and legal issues
The city council is not responsible for public highways. Anything placed on public highways which includes roads, lamp posts and street furniture is the responsibility of Norfolk County Council as the highways authority.
Anyone is free to fly or display flags on their own private property, however it is important that people think about their own safety, and the safety of others, when attaching any flags or any form of signage.
People should ensure flags or signs do not cause a hazard and are not put up or painted on others’ private property or public buildings without permission.
