Closed petition Create a ‘Homes for Afghanistan’ refugee scheme

Closed on 7 October 2022

As of December, around 12,000 Afghan refugees brought over by Operation Warm Welcome remain stuck in hotels around the UK. Given the huge response to Homes for Ukraine and the British public's concern for Afghans in danger from the Taliban, it makes sense to create a similar scheme for them too.

Keeping Afghans in hotels is costing £1.2m a day. Hotel rooms aren't suitable for long-term accommodation for traumatised people fleeing persecution, and are a particularly challenging environment for families with children. The Resettlement Scheme seems to have stalled - having only resettled around 4,000 refugees as of early Feb. There remain many in Afghanistan who, although not having worked directly with British forces, are in danger as they worked for humanitarian organisations e.g. British charities, who are now targeted by the Taliban. To ensure immigration control and security, those offering homes under a ‘Homes for Afghanistan’ scheme could be invited to identify particular persons whom they wish to sponsor who can then be vetted, as with the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme.