COUNTY TO HELP FLEEING AFGHAN REFUGEES:
REFUGEES from Afghanistan will be relocated in Cheshire as part of the Government’s resettlement scheme. Cheshire East Council confirmed that the Home Office had arranged temporary accommodation in the area for a number of individuals and families who had worked as ‘locally employed staff’ in Afghanistan supporting the British forces.
The authority is supporting the new arrivals, including with information about the UK and Cheshire East, while Covid vaccines are also being offered to all families, with regular testing advised.
They will stay in the temporary accommodation until longer-term housing is secured.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said the authority was also committed to providing longer-term accommodation for five families.
Nichola Thompson, director of commissioning for the authority, said: “The council has an important role to play in supporting the individuals who worked with British forces in Afghanistan and their families, who have moved with them to the UK.
“Moving from your home country is a significant life event for anyone at any time - particularly considering the difficult circumstances seen in Afghanistan recently.
“Various council services will be important in helping these new arrivals settle and adapt to life in the UK and we will be working closely with other local organisations, and the Home Office, to provide a safe and supportive transition for them.”
Meanwhile, Warrington, Halton and Cheshire West and Chester councils have all said they are prepared to offer support for refugees and will be working with the Government.
A Cheshire West and Chester Council spokesperson said: “The council is saddened to learn of the situation in Afghanistan and the plight of those having to flee the country.
“The council is already considering how it supports vulnerable Afghan families and is keen to play its part; as soon as we have clarity on the government programmes, we will consider the level of support we are able to provide.”
And a spokesperson from Halton Council said: “Halton Borough Council has for some time played, and continues to play, a significant role in the various refugee and asylum programmes.
“The council will continue to welcome refugees and asylum seekers to Halton. We are currently working collaboratively with the Government and our partners across the North West to support the refugees and asylum seekers who have been displaced from their homes around the world.”
The Home Office confirmed that the Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme would welcome up to 5,000 vulnerable people from the country in the first year and up to 20,000 in the long term.
The announcement came days after Taliban militants retook Afghanistan’s capital Kabul almost two decades after western forces drove them out.
It was the Taliban’s final push, having seized large parts of the country after US and UK troops withdrew in July.
The retaking of Kabul saw many people try to flee the country, with shocking images showing people packed onto planes as well as some clinging to the sides of the aircrafts.