Worries over Landlords checking immigration status

There are growing concerns that the Government’s plans that demand private Landlords check the immigration status of tenants could cause huge problems for many BME individuals who already face unacceptable levels of discrimination within the private renting sector.

Critics to the Government scheme argue that a pilot scheme in the Midlands has witnessed British citizens being penalised because they could not show proof of identity and/or did not want to pay the fees for a passport or birth certificate. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said as well as UK citizens, migrants from outside the EU were having problems proving they had a right to live in the UK.

Even before this scheme African and Caribbean’s have faced discriminatory practices in places such as London where rented housing is in very short supply.

In 2013 the BBC exposed 10 local agents prepared to discriminate against Africans and Caribbean’s. In the programme the lettings manager at A to Z Property Services, in Dollis Hill, London said: "We cannot be shown discriminating against a community. But obviously we've got our ways around that. 99% of my landlords don't want Afro-Caribbean’s or any troublesome people."

The lettings manager at National Estate Agents, Willesden, said: "When someone [African-Caribbean] comes in, we won't advise them of this property. Even if it does get [asked about] we make up an excuse, to be honest with you."

The worry now is that these discriminatory landlords will use the proposed changes  as an excuse to say: "Look who can blame us, the best way to avoid being fined or going to prison for housing an illegal immigrant is avoid those you might suspect.” The timing couldn’t have come at a worse time with the unfolding Calais drama inadvertantly informing th the UK publice what an  ‘illegal immigrant’ looks like.

Simon Woolley