Lincolnshire will offer a home to 14 Afghan refugee families
Councils look to take in at least 14 families in response to the crisis in Afghanistan
Last updated 20th Aug 2021
It's been decided Lincolnshire will offer a home to 14 Afghan refugee families. The Government intends to take a total of 20 thousand people nationwide and has asked local councils to pledge how many they can take.
It's thought many people who helped British forces during the Afghanistan conflict will be offered the chance to move to the UK such as interpreters.
Lincolnshire councils will look to take in at least 14 Afghan refugee families in response to the crisis in the country.
It comes after the Taliban tore through the country, taking hold, after troops from the UK and USA and other allied forces withdrew following 20 years there.
North Kesteven District Council leader Richard Wright, the county’s lead for the East Midlands’ Regional Migration Partnership said those who had assisted forces personell in Afghanistan had fulfilled “vital roles”:
“Those are people that have supported our forces out there in a mission which was all about supporting our country,” he said.
“We have a great debt of honour to support those people"
“They are coming with skill sets and they are people that are wanting to integrate, they will be a great addition to Britain, not a burden.”
He had previously said: “Having supported our own and Nato member forces, they have now lost everything. I am sure, all things being equal, they would have preferred to stay in their own country, but for the fact this would inevitably mean facing persecution. Having risked their lives working alongside British forces, we owe it to them to offer them assistance, safety and resettlement. As local authorities working together, we are proud to do so.”
Latest reports from the country have suggested the Taliban are searching for Afghan people who worked for Nato forces or the previous government.
“There’s two choices for these people,” said Councillor Wright. “They come here and we get them out, or from what I’m seeing on the news reports, they’re already being hunted down and the end result is death for them.”
North East Lincolnshire Council has also agreed to lend its help.
A council spokesperson said: “Along with other Local Authorities in England, we have been written to by the Government as part of efforts to support the resettlement of Afghan staff and their families who have supported our British Armed forces in Afghanistan.
“We have responded to indicate our support for the Government’s efforts.”
The local authority hasn’t confirmed what shape this support will take.
The UK government has come under criticism for not evacuating translators in the chaos.
North East Lincolnshire Council is a member of a partnership run by Migration Yorkshire. The group works with the government to manage migration in the area and help local authorities to benefit from it.