Welcoming Afghan refugees is a national project
As the last US military aircraft lifted off from the airport that had witnessed both unimaginable tragedy and remarkable heroism in the preceding weeks, just an eight-hour flight away in my Nottinghamshire constituency, I walked to a house in a peaceful corner of my local town to meet an Afghan family who were now my newest constituents.
Ahmadullah, his wife and their daughters had arrived in the UK a few weeks back, served their time in a quarantine hotel and were now settled in a house, thanks to the prompt response of the local council and the generosity of the local church. A world away from the tumult in Kabul, they greeted me at their new front door. They radiated grace and dignity and were effusive with their gratitude to those who had helped them.
We all salute the armed forces for the bravery and courage exhibited in their rescue mission. And it was clear from the bikes and toys that already peppered the garden, like any other on a bank holiday weekend, that the community was rallying around. But it is also true that we owe Ahmadullah and his compatriots our thanks.
Ahmadullah had served as a translator with British special forces in Helmand Province. He had risked his life assisting our troops. He was fulsome in his pride in loyalty to the men and women he served with, hopes to reconnect with and perhaps even serve alongside again, should the opportunity arise. For those interpreters and others who have worked with us during our long involvement in Afghanistan and who have now arrived in the UK through the Afghan Resettlement and Assistance Programme (ARAP), this is the fulfilment of a covenant.
Meeting families like this brings it all home. People who could be images from the nightly news become human beings, a family just like mine or yours.
We've embarked on a big national project: to welcome, resettle and fully integrate these families. It is one that requires both urgency, as the largest emergency arrival of people in recent decades. But it is also one that requires patience and constancy to follow through and ensure long term success.
As the Home Secretary has been working to welcome Afghan families and refugees at airports and to provide appropriate bridging accommodation for the immediate period, we've been working with local councils to find more permanent homes. A home is the foundation around which everything else is built: roots in a community; education for children; and a job with which to look after your family and contribute to society.
Half of the councils of England, Scotland and Wales have now agreed to take families under ARAP and the number is growing every day. Many hundreds of homes have already been found. If every one of the councils that has yet to sign up welcomed just three or four households, we will have met our immediate objective. Many councils are taking considerably more. As with the response to the pandemic, it shows local government at its best.
Finding good quality homes at speed is no mean feat. We are working with councils, housing associations and landlords. In particular we need three and four bedroom properties for larger families. Despite record investment in new affordable homes and the highest house building rates for decades, these are, as ever, in short supply. Charities, churches, private landlords and developers have come forward to offer properties. Anyone wishing to do so should contact either their local council or the Government via our online portal for housing offers.
The Government is providing councils with funding for housing, education, healthcare, English language training, and support workers to look after families, and JobCentres are already preparing to help people find jobs. And we will be working with community groups the length and breadth of the country.
We also want to ensure long term integration, which is a two-way street. Britain is a country with rules and values. We seek to ensure that this effort, and the broader Afghan resettlement scheme the Prime Minister has announced to help others who are particularly vulnerable to come to the UK, in the years ahead, are exemplars in achieving a united and integrated country, not a diverse, but divided one. Among other things, that will mean care to place families in all parts of the UK, an increased attention to English language training and an introduction to British cultural and civic life.
Brave men and women like Ahmadullah and his wife are our new countrymen and women. Their children are future members of our armed forces, teachers, doctors and entrepreneurs. They have come out of a tragic and at times terrifying situation, but are now in a place of safety, freedom and opportunity. We will do everything we can to ensure their new lives in the UK are happy and successful.