North Yorkshire to rehome eight Afghan families

Eight Afghan families are to be rehomed in North Yorkshire as part of a government resettlement scheme.

Earlier this year, ministers said thousands of Afghans who worked for the British army, mostly interpreters, will be offered resettlement in the UK as the armed forces withdraw from the country.

The move comes as the withdrawal of Britain and United States has been criticised after Taliban forces rapidly took control of Afghanistan this past week.

Now, county council officials said North Yorkshire will open its doors to those fleeing the country from persecution.

Neil Irving, assistant director for policy, partnerships and communities at North Yorkshire County Council, said: 

“Following the announcement that NATO military forces would withdraw from Afghanistan, the UK government saw a need to accelerate relocations under the scheme.

“So far the councils in North Yorkshirehave agreed to resettle about eight families. The people we are welcoming to North Yorkshire have shown great courage in supporting British troops in the face of high personal risk. With the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, they now face increased threats to their lives, so it is right for us to honour their service by offering them our protection.

“Thanks to thorough preparation by the organisations involved, we are confident that their settlement and integration will be safe and as smooth as possible.”

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Nationally, more than 3,000 Afghans are expected to be allowed to settle in the UK, joining 1,300 who have already done so.

In June, senior Harrogate borough councillors agreed to offer resettlement to 19 Afghans, which amounts to four families, under the same scheme.

The Harrogate district has previously taken part in other resettlement programmes, including welcoming 13 Syrian families between 2016 and 2017.

Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at the council, said the families are not only offered a place to live, but also given opportunities to go to school, learn English and find employment.

He added that the authority would be prepared to resettle more families if it was required to do so.

Meanwhile, the government has also committed to resettling 20,000 Afghan refugees in the UK after thousands have tried to flee the country.

19 Afghans get homes in Harrogate district in resettlement scheme

A senior Harrogate borough councillor has said the district will be prepared to rehome more Afghan families after the authority agreed to take part in a resettlement scheme.

Up to four families totalling 19 people will be flown to the district in the coming months as fears for their safety grows, with international troops preparing to leave the country.

On the flight will be mostly former translators, their families and others whose lives are under threat because they worked for the British government during the two decades that the UK military has been fighting in Afghanistan.

A decision to welcome the families was agreed by Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet last night when Madeleine Bell, head of housing and property, said the authority had asked to take part in the relocation scheme which is now being accelerated as the security situation in Afghanistan worsens.

She said:

“Since 2013 the government has had a programme of resettling locally employed Afghans who have worked with British armed forces.

‘Due to changes in the international presence in Afghanistan, this programme has now been accelerated and it has become urgent that Afghans who have worked with our armed forces together with their families are brought to this country for their own safety.

“We have asked to be part of this scheme and have provisionally agreed to accept three or four families, although of course we stand ready to accept larger numbers if we are asked to do so.”

The Harrogate district has previously taken part in other resettlement programmes, including welcoming 13 Syrian families between 2016 and 2017.

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Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at the council, said the families are not only offered a place to live, but also given opportunities to go to school, learn English and find employment.

He added that the authority would be prepared to resettle more families if it was required to do so.

‘We will take more if necessary’

Cllr Chambers said:

“This district has a long and proud history of taking in people who are in need, people who are in distress and people who need shelter.

“It is clear that we need to play a part in ensuring that these people are brought to a place of safety and given every opportunity to move on.

“We initially looked to take about 19 people in total and should we be required to take further, then we will do so, because this is what we do in this district. We are known as places of sanctuary. My own city of Ripon is a city of sanctuary.

“It means a great deal to people that we show compassion and care, and that we play our part in ensuring these people are given every opportunity to live in a place of safety.”

Nationally, more than 3,000 Afghans are expected to be allowed to settle in the UK, joining 1,300 who have already done so.

A large number of translators were not eligible under a previous relocation scheme, which considered an applicant’s role and length of service.

But now any current or former locally-employed staff deemed to be under serious threat will be offered priority, regardless of their employment status, role, rank or length of service.

Announcing the acceleration of the scheme last month, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“As we withdraw our armed forces, it is only right we accelerate the relocation of those who may be at risk of reprisals. Nobody’s life should be put at risk because they supported the UK government to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.”

Harrogate council set to offer homes to four Afghan families

Harrogate Borough Council looks set to offer homes in the district to four Afghan families as part of a UK government scheme.

The government has said thousands of Afghans who worked for the British army, mostly interpreters, will be offered resettlement in the UK as the armed forces withdraw from the country.

Senior council officers have recommended the authority commits to taking part in the scheme.

A report due before the council’s cabinet next week says up to four families, totalling 19 people, would be offered resettlement.

It said:

“Harrogate district has a proud history of welcoming those forced to flee their home due to oppression and tyranny. 

“The latest group to require assistance are Afghans who have worked with and supported British armed forces in Afghanistan.”

If approved, the council expects the first three families to arrive from Afghanistan this summer.

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The council has previously taken part in other resettlement programmes, including Syrian refugees when 13 families were relocated between July 2016 and April 2017.

Earlier this month, Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, announced the government intended to accelerate the resettlement scheme.

The government’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, which was published on April 1, intends to relocate those who worked with the military alongside the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Under the policy, any current or former locally employed staff assessed to be under serious threat to life are offered priority relocation to the UK regardless of employment status, rank or role, or length of time served.

Mr Wallace said:

“We owe a debt of gratitude to our interpreters and other locally employed staff who risked their lives working alongside UK forces in Afghanistan.

“We have always made clear that nobody’s life should be put at risk because they supported the UK government to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“As we withdraw our armed forces, it is only right we accelerate the relocation of those who may be at risk of reprisals.”