FEMINIST campaigners condemned the Home Office today for embedding immigration officers in councils and domestic violence services in order to “catch out” vulnerable refugees.

Sisters Uncut sent freedom of information requests to local authorities and discovered that councils are paying £80,000 a year on each “embedded immigration officer” they have within their ranks.

If you know of a service at risk, please tell is. We will protect your anonymity if needed. The fightback is on!pic.twitter.com/IjThtLpoWZ

— Sisters Uncut (@SistersUncut) February 27, 2016

Southwark, Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham councils have an immigration officer with whom they share the immigration statuses of abuse survivors, mainly those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and those who have no recourse to public funds, the south-east London branch of Sisters Uncut said.

This is happening at a time when the government is slashing council funding by around 40 per cent and violence protection services are dwindling.

Refuge budgets in England and Wales have been cut by almost a quarter, resulting in 1,000 women and children over a six-month period being turned away because of a lack of space.

Also, there are currently only up to eight beds in refuges in the whole of the country dedicated to survivors with no recourse to public funds, according to the campaigners.

Survivors are being forced to disclose their immigration status in order to access services that are available, which puts them at risk of being detained indefinitely in immigration removal centres, such as Yarl’s Wood, and deported.

Sisters Uncut also revealed that these immigration officers can attend interviews, which is highly likely to cause survivors and any children who may also be present to feel intimidated.

This is part of the sexist, racist group of policies termed the “hostile environment,” a project of Prime Minister Theresa May and her government, the campaigners said.

Sisters Uncut activists protested in the local authorities which employed embedded immigration officials.

A domestic violence support worker, J, who took part in the action, said: “Seeking immigration targets at the expense of survivors’ safety is cruel beyond measure and I won’t stand for it.”

Lewisham resident Mandi Fernandez said: “I was appalled to learn that Lewisham is bringing immigration enforcement to the most vulnerable members of my community.

“We all know that this government is scapegoating migrants for its own mistakes and I won’t be fooled – and neither should you.”

South-east London Sisters Uncut are demanding the separation of domestic violence services from the Home Office as well as proper funding of specialist domestic violence services and refuges.

“Border controls have no place in our local authorities,” they added.