County to welcome Afghan refugees
25 FAMILIES WHO HAVE FLED AFGHANISTAN ARE SET TO BE HOUSED IN THE COUNTY
TWENTY-FIVE Afghan refugee families who have fled the country are set to be moved to Staffordshire under the government’s refugee scheme.
Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-trent City Council are among the one-third of local authorities which have offered to accommodate people so far who come to Britain under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).
Those who are being settled in Staffordshire under the scheme include Afghans who have previously worked with British military forces and who would now be at risk of reprisal attacks as the Taliban took control of the country.
Around 100 out of 333 local authorities in England have offered to find suitable homes and accommodation for refugees under ARAP, and the government says places for up to 2,000 people have so far been confirmed.
The refugees will be accommodated in both council housing stock and private housing.
The county council says that arrangements are currently being made to welcome the families of ‘around 20’ Afghan staff who worked with British forces through ARAP.
The council has also written to the government to seek further clarity on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), managed by the Home Office, so it can work with district and borough councillors to provide the support needed.
Under the ACRS, a further 20,000 Afghan refugees are set to be settled in the UK including 5,000 this year, with priority being given to women, children and minorities.
The county council will work with its partners Refugee Action and Spring Housing to ensure support is in place for the refugees.
Council leader Alan White said: “Staffordshire has a long and proud history record of helping those fleeing repression and violence, as we have demonstrated in recent years by helping vulnerable families fleeing Syria.
“We are pledging to do our bit to support Afghans who have helped British forces, or who are vulnerable and whose lives are at risk if they stay in Afghanistan.
“While we are already forging ahead with plans to accommodate people through the ARAP scheme, we have asked the Government for more detail on its plans to relocate some 5,000 vulnerable people from Afghanistan in the UK.
“As with the Syrian refugees a few years ago, we will only take those we know we can safely and readily accommodate. This means working closely with our district and borough councils, plus Refugee Action, Spring Housing and local charities to ensure we have everything in place for when they arrive.
“We have also seen tremendous support from local people, who are already asking us what they can do to help.
“I would expect nothing less from the residents of our county, who have always been willing to help those in need.
“As soon as we get further details from Government on this latest scheme, we will be able to see exactly what support we can provide.”