MP for Sheffield Central insists 'lessons must be learned' following Afghan refugee hotel tragedy
Paul Blomfield has been speaking to us as part of our investigation into what life has been like for those who've fled Afghanistan
Last updated 8th Dec 2021
There are calls for Afghan refugees in South Yorkshire to be given suitable accommodation as soon as possible.
It comes as we continue to investigate the situation in Sheffield following the recent death of a child.
The MP for Sheffield Central Paul Blomfield is calling for improvements after 5-year-old Mohammed Munib Majeedi-who fled Afghanistan with his family earlier this year-fell from a hotel window in the city to his death back in August.
He doesn't think it's appropriate to cram families into hotels just after they've arrived here:
"It's not long-term accommodation, what we need to do is get people housed as quickly as possible.
"That can be a challenge when you see a large number arrive in a relatively short period of time, as we did with the Afghan crisis, but more needs to be done to get more people housed more quickly.
"The incident involving the 5-year-old boy was a tragedy which affected us all in the city.
"Just imagine-a family which had been struggling to get out of the most appalling situation inside Afghanistan were on the brink of establishing a new life in the UK.
"For them to then lose their son in that way is almost unimaginable.
"However, Sheffield was the first city in the country to declare itself a 'city of sanctuary'.
"This sends a message to people that we're welcoming towards those who are fleeing war-torn countries.
"It's an initiative that has been copied by towns and cities across the country, so I think we can be proud of this."
The Home Office says that in Sheffield & across the UK, there's a huge effort underway to get families into permanent homes so they can settle and rebuild their lives.
Sheffield City Council have agreed to rehouse nearly 160 Afghan refugees this year.
Meanwhile, an inquest into the 5-year-old boy's death is set to take place in 2022.