Council of Sanctuary statement

Bracknell Forest Council is not in the process of applying for Council of Sanctuary status. We hope the below provides some clarity for our residents given information about it circulating online over recent weeks.

Some initial exploratory work and research had been carried out on what Sanctuary Status could mean for Bracknell Forest. This activity was included as an action for 2025 to 2026 in the council’s service plans, but work was not completed and the action remained ‘in progress’ at the end of the financial year.

Information was added to the council’s forward plan in May asking cabinet to make a decision in July on a motion in support of pursuing becoming a Council of Sanctuary. However, it is not a function of cabinet to agree or debate motions. Motions are brought by individual or groups of councillors and debated at Full Council.

We would like to publicly confirm that no further work is being carried out on becoming a Council of Sanctuary. Please note, it features in the quarter 4 Corporate Performance Overview Report (CPOR) for 2025 to 2026 that is being presented to Cabinet on Tuesday (23 June) because it is a reflective look at the work at the end of the previous financial year. It will not be in our future work plan or reports and has been removed from the Stronger Together Communities Strategy action plan.

For clarity, if Sanctuary Status had been pursued, it would not have opened the borough up to any more immigration schemes, refugees, or asylum seekers. These schemes are allocated by the Home Office and are not affected by if the council is or is not a Council of Sanctuary. The Home Office does not allocate more people to areas where the status has been agreed; it is not part of the allocation criteria.

Sanctuary status is a commitment to ensuring that people already settled in an area who have arrived on an immigration scheme or as a refugee are treated with the same care and dignity as other residents. It would also apply to any future residents. Many councils across the UK are already Councils of Sanctuary with more in the process of applying. It is a scheme run by the charity City of Sanctuary.