Sidmouth: help needed to house refugees fleeing Afghanistan

Private landlords who're willing to rent flats or houses to people fleeing Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover are being urged to contact Devon County Council.

Four of Devon's district councils – which have not been named – have so far offered to find accommodation for Afghan refugees, but the county council is also asking landlords to come forward if they can help.

A spokesperson for Devon County Council, which is working in partnership with districts in response to the situation, said it was 'too early to say how many people can be housed overall'.

Torridge District Council agreed last week to accommodate some families, but the number is expected to be modest.

Yesterday (Wednesday, August 18) the government announced that up to 5,000 Afghans can apply for refuge in the UK this year, with up to 20,000 in the longer term. This appears to be a similar scheme to the one for Syrians, under which 20,000 people have been resettled over a seven-year period since 2014.

Priority will be given to women and girls, along with religious minorities and others who are most at risk of human rights abuses and dehumanising treatment by the Taliban, the Islamist group that is now in control of Afghanistan.

Devon is 'well-placed' to welcome Afghan families

In a statement, a county council spokesperson said: "Devon's councils [which exclude Torbay and Plymouth] support the UK government's moves to relocate Afghan citizens who worked with and for UK forces and organisations, and are working actively to find long-term accommodation for these friends of the UK.

"Councils are very keen to hear from local landlords who would be willing to rent flats or houses to these Afghan citizens, particularly in Devon's towns where it will be easier to help families settle in.

"The county is well placed to welcome Afghan families, building on our experience of housing nearly 50 refugee families in the last five years under the government's Syrian resettlement scheme.

"We hope that this experience will also help us to respond to the new Afghan refugee resettlement scheme just announced by the government."

Landlords who are interested should get in touch by email at [email protected]