‘We will do whatever we can to help Afghan refugees,’ says leader
WOKINGHAM will do whatever it can to help Afghan refugees – that’s the promise from council leader John Halsall.
He said they are still waiting for details from the government, but are poised to take action.
He answered criticism from some online commentators after the council previously indicated they would take two or three families for the government’s resettlement scheme.
“We will be stepping up to the plate,” he promised.
“We’re not limiting ourselves to two or three. At the moment, we don’t know what the government wants us to do, how many they’ve got out (of Kabul) and how many they want to settle here.
“These people helped our soldiers, and we’ve got to help them.
“We have an obligation to help those people who helped us, particularly those at risk from the Taliban. They will not be kind to the LGBTQ+ community, for example.
“It’s a very difficult situation and, as a council, we have to do our very best to help. I really don’t know what that means yet.”
There have also been comments on social media from people arguing that the UK should put its own housing needs first.
Cllr Halsall felt that while the council’s decisions will always be criticised by some, this was a time when they “really have to do the right thing, and the right thing is to support people who supported us”.
Cllr Halsall said that Wokingham Borough Council has been proactive in managing the situation.
“We don’t have a huge surplus of houses (available),” he said.
“Managing the waiting lists means the pipeline of houses is dedicated to people who need them.
And to those Wokingham residents who commented on social media that they had been waiting for a number of years to bid on social housing, Cllr Halsall urged them to get in touch.
“I would welcome anyone who feels they have been (waiting for years) to write to me. I will look at the case.
“My understanding is that pretty much all those who are entitled to housing are satisfied not in a matter of years, but a matter of months.”