According to statistics on the number of Afghans who have been relocated in the UK since April 2021, more than 11,300 of them have been given Indefinite Leave to Remain thanks to specially designed immigration programs.
In addition, Operation Pitting, the largest air evacuation since the Second World War, resulted in the rescue of almost 21,500 Afghans and British nationals.
While Afghans continue to enter the UK and a constant stream of individuals move into permanent housing each week, the situation on the ground in both Afghanistan and the UK remains complicated.
The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) for current and former locally employed staff in Afghanistan aims to resettle hundreds of Afghan arrivals each month over the next three years, and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will accept up to 20,000 people in need, including women and children, LGBT+ individuals, and members of religious and racial minorities.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has begun referring refugees via ACRS, and the government will bring the first arrivals to the UK as soon as practicable.
The government will begin collaborating with NGOs and international partners early next year so that the UK can accept more vulnerable groups.
As a consequence, it is anticipated that more than 3,500 Afghans would enter the UK via ACRS throughout the next year.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, said:
With the stakes at an all-time high, the evacuation of Afghanistan was a race against time to get people out.
The UK has a well-deserved reputation for lending a helping hand to those in need, and I’m incredibly proud that, so far, close to 21,500 people have found safety there thanks to a massive government effort and the resoluteness of the British people to lend a hand during extremely difficult, demanding, and intense circumstances.
One year later, we are still working to assist Afghans in getting established in the UK; there are still weekly flights, our resettlement programs are still active, and we will be accepting thousands more immigrants.
We are also making every effort to place families in houses, and I urge local governments and landlords to provide acceptable housing.
Afghans escaping the Taliban will be able to rebuild their lives in the UK thanks to the two visa programs established for them—ARAP and ACRS—which will provide them immediate access to employment as well as full access to public services, education, and benefits like Universal Credit.
Nearly 7,400 Afghan refugees have received permanent housing in less than a year.
Despite the government’s best efforts, 9,667 Afghans are now residing in 66 bridging hotels, according to statistics released today. So that families may leave hotels and into houses, more than 2,000 properties are needed.
To promote more housing offers, the Home Office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are contacting landlords, real estate developers, and the larger private rental sector, including property website RightMove.
Furthermore, the government is collaborating closely with educational institutions to convert student housing into long-term housing for Afghan families.
Lord Harrington, the minister for refugees, said:
Finding Afghans long-term homes is a very serious and difficult task. We are keen to get individuals out of bridging housing as soon as possible so Afghans can begin their new life in the UK, even though the number of hotels in use has decreased.
While simultaneously looking at creative options to source housing, we are doing all in our ability to urge municipalities and landlords to step forward.
Although we do not wish to adopt a policy of using hotels as a long-term solution, they do provide secure, hygienic, and safe lodging in the meantime.