County to welcome Afghan refugee families
CEREDIGION is to welcome families from Afghanistan as part of efforts to help the humanitarian crisis.
A cabinet meeting of Ceredigion Council has approved to offer homes to at least two families from the country after the Taliban seized power in just 10 days last month.
As British and coalition forces withdraw from Afghanistan there are increasing fears for the safety of thousands of former locally employed Afghan civilians who assisted them – known as locally employed Afghan staff (LES).
This group of Afghan nationals have worked for the UK and risked their lives alongside British forces in Afghanistan over the past 20 year and now require relocating to the UK with their families.
The UK Government wrote to all local authorities requesting support to welcome Afghan LES families.
Following the unfolding scenes in Afghanistan during August, Ceredigion Council announced that it would sign up to the UK Government scheme to resettle LES who were at risk of reprisals by the Taliban.
A public appeal was made to Ceredigion property owners to help identify any self-contained properties in the private rental sector that may be available to help with the scheme.
Following the appeal, eight properties across Ceredigion were offered by property owners.
The council’s housing team carried out assessments on these properties and identified two that match UK Government criteria.
Also as a result of this appeal, the housing team identified a property that can be used to house individual residents of Ceredigion who are homeless.
Councillor Ellen ap Gwynn, Ceredigion Council leader and chair of the Ceredigion Refugee Resettlement Group, said: “The situation in Afghanistan has developed into a humanitarian crisis and it is our duty to respond and offer support to those affected.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by the conflict, including veterans, the people of Afghanistan, and those that are fleeing in fear of their lives.
“We are extremely grateful to the property owners in Ceredigion who have offered their properties, the generosity and kindness of our residents is something to be very proud of.”
The council expects the Afghan families to arrive in Ceredigion in a matter of weeks and they will be supported by the authority and its partner agencies to assist them with the resettlement process.
For more information on the support to resettle Afghan nationals through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), visit the Home Office website at https://homeofficemedia.blog. gov.uk/2021/08/16/factsheet-uk-support-to-resettle-afghan-nationals/