Over 100 local councils have pledged to resettle Afghan refugees

Over 100 local councils have pledged their support to rehome displaced Afghan refugees.

Over 100 local councils have pledged their support to rehome displaced Afghan refugees as the first RAF rescue flight landed in Britain last night, August 17.

Local councils across the country have announced their commitment to rehome the refugees as Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched plans to resettle up to 25,000 refugees over the course of five years.

Over 240 refugees fleeing Afghanistan have arrived in England and been rehomed in West Yorkshire, Portsmouth, Hampshire, Surrey and Melton in Leicestershire.

Councillors and mayors in Liverpool, Gloucestershire, London, Kent and Essex have all stated that they pledge to provide support as the Taliban advances in Kabul.

Around 370 embassy staff and British nationals flew out with the RAF on Sunday, August 15 and Monday, August 16, with another 350 Brits and Afghans taken out of the country over the course of the next 24 hours.

Despite this, the pace of the rescue will need to increase dramatically as safety concerns mount for women and girls as they face the most persecution. Around 20,000 have been granted the right to live in the UK and 5,000 are expected to arrive in the first 12 months.

Gloucestershire Councillor Hawthorne said: “In the same way as we have supported 83 Syrian families to settle in the county since 2015, we will support the national effort, to help the most vulnerable Afghan people to settle in the UK, in any way we can.”

“Together with our district partners we have already committed to supporting 35 Afghan translators and their families following their work with the British Army and are working with our health, education and social care teams to make sure their needs can be fully met and they are supported to build a new life.”

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