More than 1,000 Afghans who worked for the UK in Afghanistan and were evacuated after the Taliban takeover face being made homeless days before Christmas, after the Home Office imposed a 15 December deadline to eject them from hotels. The Local Government Association (LGA) revealed the number of at-risk individuals, including families, following the new deadline.
The LGA expressed concern that some families, particularly vulnerable ones with ongoing medical conditions, may have to present as homeless due to a lack of available housing for larger and multi-generational families. Some Afghans who served UK interests could already be sleeping rough after being moved out of hotels by the government more than two years after evacuation.
Separate data shows over 5,200 Ukrainian families are receiving homelessness support, with 4,350 defined as homeless after relationships with UK host families broke down under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Council leaders pressed immigration minister Robert Jenrick for more resources during a meeting on Thursday, but none was offered.
The crisis is compounded by a fresh arrival of Afghans from Pakistan, where they had been waiting for relocation. The first flight arrived on Friday, with another 3,200 still in Pakistan awaiting UK visas. The LGA warned that thousands more eligible Afghans could arrive in the coming weeks.
A government spokesperson said the UK has brought around 24,600 people to safety from Afghanistan and disputed the LGA figures, stating that most of those in interim accommodation have been pre-matched to settled accommodation. However, the LGA remains concerned that the situation could deteriorate significantly when Home Office accommodation is withdrawn.
