Mayor sets out welcome for Afghan refugees

Full text of the letter to Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government:

 

Dear Robert, 

 

I have watched with grave concern the alarming situation unfolding in Afghanistan, following the collapse of the Afghan government and takeover by the Taliban. 

 

I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment this morning to resettle up to 20,000 Afghans through the introduction of a new Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme, to provide sanctuary to those fleeing the country, particularly women and children, and religious and other minorities. Just as some London boroughs are already working with you to support the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), I want to offer further assurance that London stands ready to work with the Government in response to this escalating humanitarian crisis. London welcomed many Syrian refugees in 2015, and pledges to do the same for Afghan refugees.

 

While London stands ready to help, London’s boroughs are facing barriers right now to securing properties to resettle Afghan families. I ask that you work across government to remove these and find solutions so that we can act with due urgency to save lives: 

 

Housing

 

• The benefit cap creates major challenges for boroughs in London seeking source properties for refugee families. A fund should be introduced to meet the shortfall in rent that arises due to the benefit cap. This should apply for 5 years, in line with the UKRS programme, to give families a realistic prospect of entering into employment.

 

Health and Education

 

• Refugees often have specific health needs arising from their experiences, that requires bespoke services and a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive approach. Funding of £2,600 per head for healthcare costs across the two schemes should be provided, matching what is provided through the UKRS.

 

• Exceptional case funding should be introduced to meet additional costs incurred to support children with education across the two schemes, matching what is provided through the UKRS.

 

Supporting social integration

 

• We need to ensure that we are properly supporting the social integration of Afghan arrivals. There should be a funding package for local authorities to support the integration of Afghan households for a least a period of five years, matching the arrangements under the VPRS and UKRS. This funding package should be extended to both those coming through the Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme and the ARAP scheme.

 

• Arrivals should be provided with permanent leave to remain with the right to work, and full access to the Adult Education Budget from day one. It is essential that refugees can establish a long-term future in the UK, be supported to learn English and skills that enable them to find employment. This should include:

 

• • Additional funding to help refugees’ integration, including at least £850 per head for local authorities to spend on English language provision as provided under the UKRS

 

• • Support delivered through DWP to enable Afghan families across the two schemes to enter into employment.

 

• I would also urge the Government to ensure that it retains its support for Community Sponsorship, to enable community groups in the capital to welcome Afghan refugees. I ask that your officials work with Lead Sponsors who have resettled families through the scheme to scale up the operation.

 

I appreciate that the Government is working round the clock to help avert a refugee crisis and is having to deal with a highly volatile and dangerous situation that has escalated quickly. I therefore reiterate my offer to support the Government and urgently help Afghan refugees who have been forced to flee their country to find sanctuary in our open and welcoming city. 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Sadiq Khan

Mayor of London

 

cc Cllr Georgia Gould, Chair of London Councils; Paul Scully MP, Minister for London