'Complicated' resettlement schemes to be streamlined into single pipeline, time in initial accommodation to be limited
In a written statement to Parliament made today, the Defence Secretary set out plans to improve the UK's immigration schemes for Afghan nationals.
Image credit: WikipediaJohn Healy said the Government is streamlining the "complicated" Afghan resettlement schemes into a single pipeline that will deliver greater efficiency and better outcomes across all government departments.
Starting from next spring, the time resettled Afghans spent in transitional accommodation will be limited to nine months. This accommodation, provided by the Ministry of Defence, will include a mix of serviced housing, hotels, and reduced use of the defence estate.
Afghan arrivals will then be supported to secure their own settled accommodation through the Find Your Own Accommodation (FYO) pathway. For those facing the greatest housing challenges, the Government will fund a pipeline of settled housing, utilising capital funding, community sponsorship, and Service Family Accommodation.
Healy noted, however, that the Government does intend to eventually close the UK Afghan resettlement schemes, although no specific timeline was provided.
The Defence Secretary's full statement follows below:
John Healey
Secretary of State for Defence
Statement
Last month, people came together all over the United Kingdom, to honour all the members of our Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our security and freedoms. In this significant year of remembrance anniversaries, the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph was also notable for an historic first. This year was the first time our veterans of the Afghanistan campaign, marched past the Cenotaph together, as a distinct unit; a solemn acknowledgement of the sacrifice and bravery of their colleagues during the operation, and in the rebuilding process which followed. Tragically, 454 of their colleagues, did not have the option of joining them. I pay tribute to the commitment and courage of all those who served our country in Afghanistan.
Alongside British personnel, many Afghans also worked with commitment and courage to support the UK mission in Afghanistan. This includes members of Afghan specialist units, commonly known as the Triples, who fought valiantly alongside UK personnel, with some giving their lives and others suffering life-changing injuries. As set out by the Government in October, key issues have been identified and resolved through the Triples Review, with eligible former Triples and their families being invited to relocate to the UK. We are expecting an overturn rate of approximately 25% on a cohort of applications that were previously considered ineligible.
This Government is fully committed to delivering on the pledge made by Parliament to those in Afghanistan who are eligible to relocate and resettle, and we continue to welcome eligible Afghans and their families to the UK through our Afghan resettlement schemes. We would like to express our gratitude to the Government of Pakistan for their cooperation as we have done this.
Whilst we recognise that resettlement is a complicated endeavour, we believe there is room for improvement in how we deliver for eligible Afghans and the communities in which they are being resettled, and ensure value for money for the taxpayer. At present, arrivals through different schemes are subject to differing and complex funding and support offers. This is why we are fixing the foundations of a complicated system and drawing together a single pipeline for Afghan resettlement, to deliver greater efficiency and better outcomes across Government.
By reforming our internal organisation across Government, we will bring to bear the collective expertise within the Home Office, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence and ensure the best possible outcomes at each stage of the resettlement journey. It is only by empowering the departments to play to their strengths, that we will ensure optimal services and value for money are provided overall.
The best resettlement delivers successful integration and supports arrivals to rebuild their lives in their new home. That is why, from the spring, we will be limiting the time that arrivals spend in transitional accommodation to nine months. Transitional accommodation – provided by the Ministry of Defence – will continue to be a mixture of serviced accommodation, and hotels, alongside reduced use of the defence estate. It is a vital part of our support offer to Afghan arrivals, allowing them to orient themselves and set themselves up for success for their new lives in the UK.
All Afghan arrivals will be supported to source their own settled accommodation through the Find Your Own Accommodation (FYO) pathway. In recognition of the pressures on housing supply and the unique challenges facing this cohort, the Government commits to continuing to fund and support a pipeline of settled housing to support around half of these arrivals, who are the hardest to house. This will be through additional capital funding, community sponsorship and some Service Family Accommodation. This will ensure that there is a pipeline of settled accommodation to support delivery of the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
Local Authority and Devolved Government colleagues are essential to make this vision a reality. Building on ongoing engagement, we will be meeting with representatives of local government and Strategic Migration Partnerships early in the new year to embark on a specific process of co-design and delivery of immediate programme developments. It is their experience of resettlement and their continued calls for simplification which have informed this programme, and we look forward to working closely with them in its development.
We want to thank local authorities and communities for their continued support of this endeavour, which has been instrumental to both the successful operation of our transitional accommodation sites and for supporting moves into settled accommodation. In order for them to continue to deliver this vital work, we will continue to robustly test planning assumptions.
Over the past 12 months, we have welcomed around 90 eligible families each month and we expect this pace to continue. This cannot, however, be an endless process and ultimately, the Government intends to reach a position where the UK Afghan resettlement schemes can be closed. We will update the House on this accordingly.
We are grateful for the cross-Government commitment and approach to delivery on this important programme and will provide further updates in the new year. We will continue to work to deliver on our commitment to resettle those eligible Afghans who have supported the UK, and to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.