Southall Black Sisters Protests Outside City Hall

Calling on Mayor to protect funding for support of migrant women

Southall Black Sisters demonstrating. Picture: Hina Bokhari

September 12, 2025

A funding crisis affecting a local specialist support service for migrant women has prompted scrutiny at City Hall, with London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari OBE challenging Mayor Sadiq Khan over the future of Southall Black Sisters’ London Holistic Advocacy Wrap Around Service (LHAWAS).

The service, which supports women with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), faces the loss of all public funding at the end of this month, creating a six-month gap before new funding streams are due to begin in April 2026. Despite recognition from the Mayor’s office of the service’s impact, no transitional support was offered, leaving the charity to seek emergency funds independently.

Speaking at the London Assembly on 11 September, Ms Bokhari described the situation as “shameful,” arguing that the funding gap placed hundreds of vulnerable women at risk. She cited the Mayor’s own Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, which pledges support for migrant and minoritised victim-survivors, and questioned how the funding lapse aligned with those commitments.

Since its launch in 2019, LHAWAS has provided safe accommodation to over 700 migrant women and supported thousands more through casework, counselling, and immigration advice. The service operates through a partnership model involving organisations such as nia, the Asian Women’s Resource Centre, and Ashiana Network.

While Southall Black Sisters has now secured emergency funding to continue operations until March 2026, its future remains uncertain under the Mayor’s revised funding framework. According to the charity, the new model excludes collaborative bids from small, specialist organisations, raising concerns about long-term sustainability.

Selma Taha, Director of Southall Black Sisters, said the organisation’s position remains “incredibly precarious” and called for systemic change to prevent future funding cliff edges. The charity has launched a public petition urging the Mayor to revise the funding model and ensure continuity of support for migrant victim-survivors.

During the Assembly session, the Mayor acknowledged the value of Southall Black Sisters’ work but did not commit to meeting with the organisation or addressing the transitional funding gap. Hina Bokhari noted that representatives from the charity had travelled to City Hall during a tube strike to seek support, describing the lack of engagement as “incredibly disappointing.”

Southall Black Sisters is a registered charity based in West London, known for its advocacy and support services for Black and minoritised women experiencing domestic abuse and other forms of gender-based violence. The organisation has long campaigned for improved access to services for women affected by NRPF restrictions, which limit eligibility for mainstream support and are associated with increased vulnerability to abuse.

The petition to protect future funding for the service is available here.