Afghan refugees who have been housed in inns after fleeing the Taliban takeover of Kabul will probably be given not less than three months’ discover to go away their lodging from the top of April.
Veterans’ minister Johnny Mercer mentioned the federal government would “step up our support to help resettled and relocated Afghans access independent settled accommodation and end the use of hotel bridging accommodation”.
He added: “We will begin writing to individuals and families accommodated in Afghan bridging hotel at the end of April and they will be provided with at least three months notice about when that access to bridging accommodation will end.”
Mr Mercer’s announcement comes after Rishi Sunak instructed his cupboard this morning that whereas UK was a “compassionate country that does want to offer protection and support to those most in need”, “the cost of the current approach and the pressure it puts on local areas meant it was not sustainable”.
The Home Office has beforehand mentioned the present asylum system prices £3bn a yr, together with round £6m a day on resort lodging.
Last August, Sky News reported that the Home Office had warned Afghan evacuees they might be evicted in the event that they turned down two affords of lodging.
Approximately 9,500 evacuees stay in inns within the UK, greater than a yr after Kabul fell to the Taliban, because the UK struggles with its personal scarcity of home housing.
Earlier Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman defended the plans after journalists accused the federal government of discovering methods to “boot out” Afghans from inns.
“We’ve made a large commitment to them to support them in the UK to make a new life here and this will be the next stage of that,” the spokesman mentioned.
“We do think it is right to help them into settled accommodation, there will be a significant package of support that sits behind them to both help them to find accommodation and to help them fully integrate into their new community.”
The Times reported earlier refugees will probably be provided a property – however those that do not take up the supply will probably be requested to go away their present lodging.
The transfer has already been criticised by some charities.
Enver Solomon, the Refugee Council’s chief govt, mentioned: “We are deeply concerned about many elements of these plans, in particular the risk that they could lead to people who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan being left homeless and destitute on the streets of Britain.
“This just isn’t how those that have been promised a heat welcome within the UK needs to be handled.
“Hotels are not the right place for refugees to live but the fact that thousands of Afghans have been left in them for months on end is a consequence of government mismanagement and a failure to work successfully in partnership with local councils and other agencies to find suitable housing.
“To anticipate councils to all of the sudden transfer them out of inns by placing strain on Afghan households dangers inflicting nice distress and nervousness for individuals who have already skilled trauma and upheaval.”
Source: information.sky.com”