Sir Sadiq Khan has handed cash to a London council to spend on asylum seekers (Image: Getty)
Documents have revealed that Sir Sadiq Khan has provided £9,000 to a London council to be spent on water safety courses and soft play vouchers for asylum seekers. A transparency notice published on January 5 said that Lewisham Council, all of whose 54 councillors are Labour, apart from two Greens, was awarded a £40,000 grant from the Greater London Authority (GLA), the capital’s devolved local government authority headed by Sir Sadiq, for “asylum mental health initiatives” in October 2025.
The proposed activities, highlighted by the Centre for Migration Control, included £25,000 for “targeted outreach to people in dispersed asylum accommodation and additional casework” provided by Action for Refugees Lewisham (AFRIL) – a charity that provides “services to support vulnerable asylum seekers, migrants and refugees”, such as a food bank, advice centre, supplementary school and allotment.
Water safety courses and soft play vouchers at Lewisham leisure centres will also be provided, costing £9,000. The grant requirement is for the activities to be completed by end of May 2026, officials noted.
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Sadiq Khan heads up the GLA (Image: Getty Images)
It comes after the Mayor of London confirmed in December that, as of June 2025, there were 17,161 people seeking asylum supported by the Home Office across London and in every one of the city’s boroughs.
When asked for his thoughts on the potential impact of Government proposals to make the UK’s asylum system more strict could have on London boroughs currently supporting Home Office-funded asylum accommodation by Conservative London Assembly Member Alessandro Georgiou in December, Sir Sadiq said: “London has a proud history of welcoming people from around the world, providing refuge to those seeking sanctuary and showing compassion for those in need.
“Importantly, people from across the world make a vital contribution to London’s economy and society, including those who have come to the UK seeking asylum.”
He added: “Councils discharge safeguarding duties to vulnerable people seeking asylum and would be impacted by these changes. They also play a role in supporting local advice systems, including immigration advice, and the new proposals could put these systems under greater strain.”
Sir Sadiq’s Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, chaired the London Strategic Migration Partnership Board last year, and “facilitated a discussion about the proposed changes to asylum policy”.
The Mayor of London told Assembly Members: “At that meeting, the biggest concern raised by local authorities was the possibility of removing support from families with children, who the Home Office deem to have ‘no barrier to leaving the UK’.
“Councils are concerned these families could end up being supported by them – given these households may have no recourse to public funds – under their duty to protect children.
“I know the Government is keen to understand what the impacts of their proposals may be, including any unintended consequences.
“My officers will continue working with government, and with the relevant bodies through the London Strategic Migration Partnership, as well as with sanctuary seekers themselves, to help understand the impact of the proposed changes.”
