Nearly 10,000 people who fled Afghanistan a year ago are still living "in limbo" in "unsuitable and unsafe" hotel rooms, campaigners warn - with up to 23,000 still desperately trying to reach the UK after the Taliban seized control.
The government faces calls to ensure those who fled the brutal regime do not face another year "trapped" in hotels and to provide safe routes so those in danger can escape.
It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel voiced "tremendous pride" in the government's heavily criticised rescue operation, named Operation Pitting, which was launched after the Taliban seized control a year ago tomorrow.
Andy Hewitt, head of advocacy at the Refugee Council, told The Mirror: "We are deeply concerned that this Government is letting the people of Afghanistan down, by failing to deliver on the ‘warm welcome’ the government promised. Britain is better than this.
"There is clear evidence that the British pubic want to support refugees, but their ability to fill in the gaps left by the Government is limited. Whoever becomes our next Prime Minister must do right by the people whose lives have been shattered by this violence and bloodshed."
He said there are an estimated 9,500 Afghan people living in "unsuitable and unsafe" hotel accommodation, stating: "The majority of these are likely to have arrived as part of the evacuation in August 2021, and have therefore been living in hotels a year after they were forced to flee their home in Afghanistan. In many cases these people are separated from family and desperate to be reunited with them."
On top of that, Mr Hewitt said there is currently a backlog of around 23,000 who have applied to come to the UK under the ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) scheme - describing them as "at high risk".
"The Government recognised the need for families to be together when supporting people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine – they must now show the same compassion and recognise that Afghans who suffered so much already have the right to be with their family, the people who make them feel safe," he said.
Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: "Too many Afghan refugees are still trapped in limbo in hotel accommodation, which means they are unable to integrate into their communities and properly move on with their lives."
He added: "People in Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries are in danger right now. But almost every person fleeing the Taliban has no hope of making it onto the highly restrictive Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.
"Meanwhile, the tiny minority lucky enough to be selected may have to wait years before they are welcomed to the UK.
"The Government must welcome any Afghan in fear of their safety onto its resettlement scheme and shorten its five-year target to welcome 20,000 Afghans to two years."
Earlier this year the cross-party Commons Foreign Affairs Committee described the chaotic efforts to get the UK nationals and the local personnel who worked with them out of the country as a "disaster", and a "betrayal" of allies which would damage British interests for years to come.
But in a video shared on social media, Ms Patel said: "Op Pitting was the largest evacuation we'd been involved in since the Second World War. It was seismic.
"The United Kingdom should feel very proud of what it's done to support people in Afghanistan.
"That absolutely shows our commitment to humanity and doing the right thing for people fleeing oppression and persecution."
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it and, through the new Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, up to 20,000 people in need will be welcomed to the UK.
“The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will prioritise those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, as well as vulnerable people, including women and girls and members of minority groups who are at risk.”
