Walsall Council pledges to take in 40 more Afghan refugees as other authorities outline plans

Walsall Council chiefs said the move was the "right thing to do" due to the scale of the humanitarian "crisis" taking place in the country.

It means they will take in up to 120 Afghan refugees overall – approximately 27 families – as part of the Government's relocation scheme.

So far 15 families – 69 people – who helped British troops have been housed in the borough via the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

Meanwhile, other councils in the Black Country and Staffordshire have pledged to do their bit to take in refugees who have escaped the country.

Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council, said: "You have only to turn on the news or your phone, to see the scale of the crisis in Afghanistan and how quickly violence has escalated. In the light of this rapidly changing situation, Walsall Council is recommending that we support a further 40 men, women and children on top of the 80 people we had already pledged to help earlier. Put simply this is the right thing to [do].”

"Since August and until flights from Kabul were suspended – we have already helped 69 people through the government’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

"Walsall Council and the wider borough has mobilised at speed and whilst it has recently welcomed 15 families to the borough, the urgency of the current situation must means that we - along with other local authorities across the land, must do everything we can to help.

"These people have played a vital part in supporting the British Army’s operations in Afghanistan with interpretation and translation skills and we will do all that we can to support them."

Dudley Council has already pledged to take in 20 families, with Wolverhampton Council rehoming 80 individuals, Sandwell Council pledging to take in between 20 and 25 "households" and Staffordshire County Council taking in around 20 families.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said: "The situation in Afghanistan is truly distressing and I’m glad we can play our part by taking in 20 families allocated to us by the Government as part of the national relocation programme.

"The families are war veterans who served on the front line, risking their lives to protect British troops with interpretation and translation services. They will have access to housing and services as part of the settlement, which is all completely government funded."

Councillor Rajbir Singh, leader of Sandwell Council, said 12 properties have already been made available for the refugees – with one household already being settled in.

He said: "Sandwell will play its full part in supporting those who have been forced to leave Afghanistan. It is critical that government works with councils to make sure that plans are in place and costs fully covered.

"We expect 20-25 Afghan households to be accommodated and settled in our borough, and we will be in a position to confirm this when the government releases further details of the new resettlement scheme."

Afghan interpreters – and their families – who have supported British troops in Afghanistan will be resettled through the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP), with the Government also setting up The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) to help support refugees to resettle.

Wolverhampton Council chiefs outlined their commitments to take in refugees but stressed it was "essential" the Government provided them with financial backing.

A spokesman said: "The Government has announced the Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and we are awaiting details.

"Wolverhampton has always played a huge role in providing refuge for those in need and we are proud of our City of Sanctuary status. As part of the Afghan Locally Employed Staff Ex-Gratia Scheme, which provides refuge for interpreters and their families, we are committed to helping the brave people who were a vital part of the British Army's operations in Afghanistan.

"In Wolverhampton we have made a commitment to welcome and accommodate 80 individuals consisting of interpreters and their families as part of this scheme. In light of the extremely serious recent developments in Afghanistan, it’s important we do what we can to support new national plans to resettle Afghan refugees. However, it is essential that the Government provides appropriate financial support so we can continue to do this.

"While we await details of the plans, we will continue to work alongside other councils and partners to provide support to those most in need."

And in Staffordshire, county council leaders say arrangements are already being made to welcome the families of around 20 Afghan staff who helped British troops.

Councillor Alan White, leader of the authority, said: "Staffordshire has a long and proud history record of helping those fleeing repression and violence, as we have demonstrated in recent years by helping vulnerable families fleeing Syria.

“We are pledging to do our bit to support Afghans who have helped British forces, or who are vulnerable and whose lives are at risk if they stay in Afghanistan. While we are already forging ahead with plans to accommodate people through the ARAP scheme, we have asked the Government for more detail on its plans to relocate some 5,000 vulnerable people from Afghanistan in the UK.

"As with the Syrian refugees a few years ago, we will only take those we know we can safely and readily accommodate. This means working closely with our district and borough councils, plus Refugee Action, Spring Housing and local charities to ensure we have everything in place for when they arrive.

"We have also seen tremendous support from local people, who are already asking us what they can do to help. I would expect nothing less from the residents of our county, who have always been willing to help those in need. As soon as we get further details from Government on this latest scheme, we will be able to see exactly what support we can provide."