Refugee Council warns Afghan housing plan is 'deeply concerning'
Campaigners fear many Afghan refugees could be left homeless, Sarah Corker reports
By ITV News Westminster Producer, Lucy McDaid
Thousands of Afghan refugees will be given a minimum of three months' notice to move out of hotels and into alternative accommodation, under plans detailed by the veterans minister.
Johnny Mercer made the announcement in the House of Commons on Tuesday, claiming it is "unacceptable and unsustainable" for thousands to still be living in hotels.
If refugees fail to accept an offer of housing, they will be left to find something independently.
The Refugee Council said they are "deeply concerned" by the plans, which they warned could leave many at risk of homelessness.
Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi, director of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association, tells ITV News he fears the government's plan leaves refugees at risk of homelessness
Currently, around 8,000 people - including children - are living in hotels or serviced accommodation, costing the taxpayer £1.2 million a day.
ITV News has followed many of their journeys, revealing last year that Home Office bureaucracy and "disorganisation" was blamed for ongoing delays in the rehoming programme.
The thousands of evacuees, many vulnerable and living with significant trauma, fled Afghanistan in the summer of 2021 when the Taliban returned to power.
'Bridging hotels are not, and were never designed to be, a permanent solution'
The government said on Tuesday the plans aim to end the reliance on UK hotels and serviced accommodation, giving Afghan refugees the chance to build a future here.
But if they fail to respond to an offer of accommodation, they will be given an eviction notice and no other offer.
"Bridging hotels are not, and were never designed to be, a permanent solution," Mr Mercer told the Commons.
Thousands have been living in hotels for more than a year, which he admitted is an "unacceptable and unsustainable" situation.
The lengthy delays in getting them rehoused has "prevented some Afghans from properly putting down roots, committing to employment, integrating into communities" and has "created uncertainty" for thousands, he added.
'It is not right that people can choose to stay in hotels when other perfectly suitable accommodation is available', says Johnny Mercer
The veterans minister also added that the government expects "families to help themselves" when it comes to finding housing.
Letters will be sent out to evacuees in hotels from the end of April, giving them at least three months' notice to vacate their temporary accommodation.
Trained staff will then be sent to hotels to give advice on private renting, families will be offered English language training, and local authorities will be given extra funding to help with the transition from hotels to permanent housing.
Mr Mercer said £35 million has been allocated for local councils to further support them.
Responding to the announcement, the Local Government Association said councils will need the extra resources to "ensure we do not see a rise in homelessness as a result of a chronic shortage of properties across the UK".
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Charities have also criticised the scheme. "This is not how those who were promised a warm welcome in the UK should be treated," said Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council.
"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 on Afghan families risks causing great misery and anxiety for those who have already experienced trauma and upheaval."
There has been heavy criticism of the government's handling of refugees who came from Afghanistan in 2021.
The Home Office promised to take up to 20,000 refugees and rehouse them all within five years, labelling it "one of the most generous" resettlement schemes in UK history.
However, a number of refugees who have already been offered places to live outside of their temporary accommodation say the Home Secretary has failed in her commitment.
In a High Court battle, lawyers claimed some are being offered places hundreds of miles across England, causing further disruption and upheaval when they have started to establish roots since arriving more than a year ago.
The prime minister's official spokesman said on Tuesday morning: "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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