Many of the Afghans evacuated just before Kabul fell last month are still languishing in unsuitable hotels. There are reports of very poor conditions for them so they need to be resettled urgently.

On 25th August, we called on Brighton and Hove City Council to convene a meeting of stakeholders from all parts of the community, including local organisations in the refugee sector such as ours, to formulate a concrete plan of how we can welcome this group.

We need the Council to:

• • Set an ambitious target for how many Afghan refugees will be resettled here
  • Prioritise finding suitable accommodation for them
  • Act as a lead coordinator for the many local refugee and asylum seeker organisations who can help

There can be no further delay.

The government has now announced a comprehensive package of support for all local Councils resettling Afghan refugees.

And it has reiterated its plea for Councils to make a concrete commitment for how many people it will settle. Brighton & Hove have not set any targets despite many other Councils doing so.

Can you provide accommodation to an Afghan refugee family?

All refugees who arrive under both the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ARCS) are immediately eligible for housing benefit so you will receive a regular rent.

We are looking for self-contained property suitable for families that is available for at least 12 months and ideally 2 years so that people have an opportunity to find their feet after so much upheaval. Refugees are resourceful people who want to be self-sufficient so if we give them the breathing space to start again, they will soon be thriving.

And you will be giving people who have lost everything the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

You can contact Paul Hutchings, one of the Sanctuary committee members and he will try to answer any questions or concerns you have.

Photo “Afghan refugees in Iran” by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0