Chesterfield group collecting items to help Afghan refugees arriving in UK

Since late June, 2,000 Afghans who worked for the UK have been resettled with their families under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, according to the Home Office, with a target of 5,000 by the end of 2021.

MORE: Opinion: Overwhelming majority of people will welcome Afghan refugees to Derbyshire and UK

The UK has also committed to take in up to 20,000 Afghan refugees over the next few years under a separate resettlement scheme – including 5,000 this year.

Now, Chesterfield Stand Up To Racism is stepping in to help the refugees, who are fleeing Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the country.

Jeannie Robinson, of the group, said: “Locally, we are organising to collect clothes, toiletries, phones, notebooks, pens and much needed items for refugees who will be arriving with nothing.

“We have links with Care4Calais who are expecting families in the Manchester area.

“We have experience of the Syrian families resettlement scheme, which has worked well with about 70 refugees settled here in Derbyshire – it has taken more than four years to bring these families over.

“The situation in Afghanistan is acute and we need our Government to act more quickly than a ‘promise’ of 20,000 over five years.”

For more information on how you can help Chesterfield Stand Up To Racism with their collection, send a message to www.facebook.com/chesterfieldsutr

In a statement, a spokesperson for the national arm of Stand Up To Racism said: “We say that Afghan refugees are welcome here, and call on the Government to let in all Afghan refugees and stop returning refugees to Afghanistan.

“The scheme announced by the Home Secretary to work with partners and other countries to settle 20,000 refugees in Britain, and with only 5,000 to be settled this year, is woefully inadequate.

“The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has thrown millions of people’s lives under urgent threat.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The UK Government will always stand by those in the world in their hour of need when fleeing persecution or oppression.

“I want to ensure that as a nation we do everything possible to provide support to the most vulnerable fleeing Afghanistan so they can start a new life in safety in the UK, away from the tyranny and oppression they now face.”

MORE: As Afghans flee Taliban, Derbyshire County Council comments on resettling refugees

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