The scheme set up to help house Ukrainian refugees in the UK should be extended to help people who fled Afghanistan when the Taliban returned to a power, a group has said. The group, of think tanks and support groups, backed by politicians, have written a letter to Michael Gove.
The letter asks the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to help the thousands of Afghans who escaped Kabul and are still in hotel accommodation seven months later. They say it is likely the level of support in the UK will surpass the number of Ukrainians who can, or who want to seek refuge in the UK. Already well over 100,000 people have signed up for the scheme, including at least 10,000 in Wales. You can see that here.
The letter says faster progress is needed to resettle the Afghans who were evacuated last summer and that a second phase of the Homes for Ukraine scheme should allow businesses, civic and faith groups, military charities and others to support both Ukrainian and Afghan refugees.
