Council to welcome Afghan refugees – but issues urgent appeal to landlords for homes
A council says it will provide a safe haven for refugees fleeing Afghanistan – and is urgently appealing for landlords to help provide homes.
Shropshire Council has followed Telford & Wrekin Council in saying it will look to offer sanctuary to those trying to escape Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country.
The UK Government says it will give refuge to 5,000 Afghans immediately, and 20,000 in the longer term.
Shropshire Council said it is in discussions with the Government over the issue, but says it needs landlords with available homes to come forward.
A statement from the authority said: "The council has issued an urgent appeal for landlords across the county, including Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing (STAR Housing) who manage the council’s housing stock on its behalf, to help with the effort of finding suitable homes for those in need."
Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care, public health and assets – including population health and integration, said they wanted to help Afghans who had put their lives at risk by supporting the British in their country.
He said: "I have been shocked by the events I’ve seen unfolding in Afghanistan, and the desperate measures some are taking to flee the country – it’s truly heart-breaking.
“Over the past 20 years many Afghans have worked with members of our armed forces and civilian aid workers as interpreters and guides at great risk to themselves, so it goes without saying that we’re keen to do all we can to help and we are working alongside our partners to try and find homes for those in need – as well as helping them to settle and start a new life in our county.”
Telford & Wrekin Council said earlier this week that it had already started work to prepare for looking after refugees in the borough.
The authority said that like the rest of the UK it would be giving priority to the groups most at risk – including women and girls, and those who have supported UK armed forces.
It also called on the Government to provide local authorities with the funding to support incoming refugees.
A spokesman for the authority said: “Telford & Wrekin Council, along with all authorities across the UK, will be working with the Home Office to offer safety to refugees from Afghanistan and to support them to settle in the borough. We will be giving priority to those groups who are most at risk, including women and girls, and those who have supported UK armed forces.
“Work to welcome those seeking safety has already started and we are working hard with partners across the West Midlands region to overcome the very real logistical challenges involved and to ensure that any specialist support needed is in place."
