Afghan refugees living in hotels across the UK could be forced out of hotels and pushed into homelessness under new government plans, campaigners have warned.
Downing Street confirmed on Tuesday (28 March) reports of a new package, which would see refugees evicted from hotel accommodation, and into new homes.
It comes after the Times newspaper reported that between 8,000 and 9,000 Afghan refugees living in the UK hotels will be given a few months notice to move out.
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A number of hotels in Greater Manchester have been used to house refugees fleeing persecution after the Taliban regime took over the country, following the fall of Kabul in 2021.
It is unclear how the new homes for the refugees will be funded and allocated, with the move due to be announced formally by veterans minister Johnny Mercer later today, the PA news agency reports.
The move will reportedly see refugees offered a property, with those that fail to take up the offer before a deadline evicted. Asylum seekers housed in hotels by the Home Office are not expected to be affected.
The plan was discussed at Cabinet on Tuesday morning. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mr Sunak told the meeting that the UK can be "proud of the support provided to those forced to flee Afghanistan." Mr Mercer also told colleagues that it was 'right to take these steps' to help Afghans 'start a secure life,' according to No 10.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said he is “deeply concerned” by details of the plan. He said there is a "risk that they could lead to people who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan being left homeless and destitute on the streets of Britain."
"This is not how those who were promised a warm welcome in the UK should be treated," he said.
"Hotels are not the right place for refugees to live but the fact that thousands of Afghans have been left in them for months on end is a consequence of government mismanagement and a failure to work successfully in partnership with local councils and other agencies to find suitable housing.
"To expect councils to suddenly move them out of hotels by putting pressure of Afghan families risks causing great misery and anxiety for those who have already experienced trauma and upheaval."
Responding to the Government announcement, a spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: "Councils share ambitions to move people from hotels and will continue to work closely with individuals and families over the coming months with local partners to help Afghan families find permanent homes.
"To ensure we do not see a further rise in homelessness as a result of a chronic shortage of properties across the UK and increase current significant pressures on homelessness teams, councils will need sufficient resources and flexibilities to assist with finding and funding accommodation, particularly for larger families. A place based approach is also needed which takes into account pressures on local services and from other programmes.
"We will continue working with government to tackle the current shortage of accommodation across local communities and on the need for coordination of local arrangements so councils can provide families and individuals with certainty and support.
"Councils also need to be involved alongside health, schools and childcare, transport, police and their communities for any new sites for asylum seekers so these are properly planned, fairly distributed across the UK and any new arrivals kept safe and supported."
More details are expected to be revealed in the Commons, with Mr Mercer likely to promise new support and funding to get refugees into homes.
Downing Street denied that Afghan refugees will be kicked out of hotels and said the new package is about finding them 'settled accommodation.'
"This is about how we’re accelerating support for Afghans who have been forced to remain in hotel accommodation for sometimes more than a year,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
"We’ve made a large commitment to them to support them in the UK to make a new life here and this will be the next stage of that.
"We do think it is right to help them into settled accommodation. There will be a significant package of support that sits behind them to both help them to find accommodation and to help them fully integrate into their new community."
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