Afghan refugee family set to arrive in East Riding next month
The County Council says two houses for Afghan refugees were currently available
An Afghan family which fled the country after its fall to the Taliban is set to arrive in the East Riding next month.
East Riding Council stated two houses for Afghan refugees were currently available to Migration Yorkshire, the body which handles resettlement regionally.
The authority added one family would be resettled in November while one home remained available for another.
A council spokesperson said it had received generous offers from residents to help support Afghan refugees and that the East Riding remained committed to supporting resettlement efforts.
The arrival of the refugee family at the start of November comes after one has already been resettled under the Afghan Conflict Relocation Scheme (ACRS).
Their resettlement also follows the fall of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul to Taliban fighters in September, leading to the evacuation of NATO forces and refugees.
The fall of the Western-backed government in the wake of the Taliban’s conquest of Kabul marked the end of the almost two decade war in the country.
Afghan refugees are taken in under the ACRS and the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP).
The government pledged to take 20,000 refugees fleeing the conflict in total, with 5,000 due to be resettled this year.
The council stated it currently had capacity to rehouse three families in total, including the one already living in the East Riding and the other due to arrive.
It added it was able to resettle all families permanently rather than housing them in hotels and other temporary accommodation.
The council is also working to refurbish other properties and stated it would inform Migration Yorkshire as and when they were available.
Council officers also work with refugees to help them with education, training and other support depending on their needs and circumstances.
The council has not said where the Afghan families have been resettled for privacy reasons.
The council spokesperson said:
“The council remains committed to supporting Migration Yorkshire in their resettlement schemes.
“To date, the council has accommodated one family under the current Afghan Relocation Scheme, with another family due to arrive in the area in November.
“Further properties are currently being identified and will be offered to Migration Yorkshire for a match refugee family.
“Migration Yorkshire have developed a webpage that offers some helpful information: https://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/?page=supporting-afghan-people.
“In the East Riding there have been numerous very generous offers of support and items for the families and the council would like to thank our residents for their generosity and understanding.”