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Afghan refugees in UK told to look for private accommodation
Afghan refugees who sought asylum in the UK after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) took over Afghanistan a year ago have been told to look for private accommodation as the government-funded accommodation scheme winds down.
In a letter sent to the Afghan refugees, the Home Office warned that not every council would accept their request for a place on the social housing list and has told them to use estate agent websites in the private sector, Anadolu News Agency reported.
“The use of hotels to house those resettling from Afghanistan is a temporary solution, and we continue to work with over 350 local authorities to move Afghan families from hotels to permanent accommodation as quickly as possible,” a statement from the Home Office said.
“To support the resettlement of Afghan families, local authorities are given £20,520 ($24,809) per person over a three-year period. They have the flexibility to use this funding to contribute towards renting accommodation, including deposits, letting fees and furnishing,” it added.
Although the government is still accommodating up to 9,500 Afghan refugees in hotels, with 7,000 rehoused, the Home Office is planning to wind down the use of hotels to house refugees, Anadolu reported.
Rights groups and charities, however, have voiced concerns over the lack of funding, guidance and assistance offered to the refugees and fear that many families will fall into homelessness as a result.
Afghan families and individuals, many of whom have only been in the UK for a year, will struggle to find accommodation. Due to language barriers which will prevent them from negotiating their rental agreements and the lack of necessary documentation, many fear that these families will fall through the system.
“Afghan families couldn’t have imagined that one year after arriving they’d still be warehoused in unsuitable accommodation, without space, privacy and stability. There is also a serious risk of homelessness for these families if suitable accommodation is not offered under the current Home Office plans,” said Eva Tabbasam, the director of Gender Action for Peace and Security.
“The government has had a year to sort things out – instead, it’s getting worse. If suitable accommodation was readily available for the 9,500 people still in hotels, families would already have been moved into it. We don’t yet know what kind of move on accommodation families will be offered,” she added.
The government’s plans to rehouse Afghan refugees include sending them to different parts of the country. However, as the majority are based in London and with children enrolled into school and family members at work, the scheme may prove difficult, Anadolu reported. .
Furthermore, councils have voiced concern over the lack of housing options for Afghan families with Claire Holland, London Councils’ executive member for communities, saying “boroughs are very concerned by the lack of alternative housing options for these families – a particular challenge in the capital due to the chronic shortage of affordable housing here.”
UK council housing lists are notoriously long with many having to wait up to a year to find a house fit for a large family. Additionally, although Afghan families have the right to rent, many landlords are reluctant to sign agreements with them due to a lack of necessary and sufficient documentation.
The plan to rehouse Afghan refugees in private accommodation comes on the one-year anniversary of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) rule.
Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, the political deputy prime minister, urged Panjshir residents to encourage their sons living in neighboring countries to return home as the Islamic Emirate has no enmity with anyone.
At a gathering in Panjshir, attended by senior IEA officials, Kabir said that there is currently no space for ethnic and linguistic discrimination as well as hypocrisy in Afghanistan.
He stressed that all Afghans should work together for the construction, development and prosperity of the country.
According to him, IEA’s political and commercial relations with the world are secure and the government is committed to the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan and is doing its best to gain self-sufficiency.
At this gathering, the IEA’s minister of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, said that illegal acts in the country have reached zero and that Daesh does not exist in the country. He also said the people of Panjshir will not be deceived by biased people.
“Currently, there is no corruptor and there is no Daesh fighter in Afghanistan, and no one can provide proof [of their existence]. We are one nation. Our religion and beliefs are one,” said Hanafi.
Some residents of Panjshir also said that they support the Islamic Emirate and will share their challenges with the authorities.
Shahabuddin Delawar, Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, visited the Mes Aynak copper mine area on Wednesday during a trip to Logar province.
According to the ministry, Delawar was accompanied by Khairullah Khairkhaw, Acting Minister of Information and Culture; Zhao Xing, Chinese Ambassador to Kabul; Ziaul Rahman Madani, Governor of Logar; and the deputy minister of energy and water.
The ministry said Delawar and his accompanying delegation visited various areas of Mes Aynak copper mine and Mes Aynak archaeological sites to evaluate progress of work being done on the mine.
Officials of MCC, the company with the contract to mine the copper, also provided an update on work being carried out including an update on the road that will soon be built.
“Most of the problems of the project have been solved and we are ready to start the practical work of the project, and with the practical start of the [Mes] Aynak copper mine project, there will be no damage to the ancient monuments in the area.”
The Acting Minister of Information and Culture also discussed the need to preserve and protect relics at the archeological site and assured the delegation of the ministry’s cooperation.
The deputy minister of energy and water also assured all present of a consistent supply of electricity and water for the mine.
Mes Aynak is the location of Afghanistan’s largest copper deposit, however it also contains artifacts recovered from the Bronze Age, and some of the artifacts recovered have dated back over 3000 years.
The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs says that the process of transferring Hajj pilgrims from Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia has started.
According to the ministry, about 230 Hajj pilgrims left on Wednesday, May 8, on the first flight to Medina.
The acting minister Noor Mohammad Saqib, said at a departure ceremony for the Afghan pilgrims that this year, in order to provide better services to Hajj pilgrims, the employees of the working committees have been sent to Saudi Arabia earlier than in previous years.
At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi, said to the pilgrims during the ceremony: “Dear pilgrims, you are the representatives of the Afghan people in Saudi Arabia, so do this representation well.”
Hanafi added that with the efforts of the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, as in previous years, all Hajj activities this year have been prepared in an orderly manner.
Earlier, the acting minister announced that this year’s quota for Afghan pilgrims will be 30,000.
Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air are the official carriers of pilgrims this year.
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