Decision details

As British and US Forces are leaving Afghanistan the situation for the Afghan nationals that were employed, mainly as Interpreters, has become dangerous, with them being at increased risk. In December 2020, due to the deteriorating security situation in the country, the Government announced the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). This is a new scheme that offers relocation or other assistance to current and former Locally Employed Staff, and their families, in Afghanistan to reflect the changing situation.

Under the new scheme, those current, or former, Locally Employed Staff, assessed to be at serious risk of threat to life, are being offered priority relocation to the UK, regardless of their employment status, rank or role, or length of time served. It is estimated that this will involve around 4000 Afghan nationals. They will receive a 5 year visa which includes the right to work, social housing and free access to Health services; they will apply for Habitual Residency status on arrival.

As with the initial Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme (SRRP), the Home Office has expressed a preference for a regionalised approach to ensure strategic coordination and, in Yorkshire and Humber, the regional programme will continue to be coordinated by Migration Yorkshire (part of Leeds City Council). The ARAP project will be funded by the Government via Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire) and the implications for Doncaster are that the scheme should be cost neutral for the Authority.

In May 2021, the Home Office, through Migration Yorkshire, asked Local Authorities to support the voluntary scheme and welcome families and individuals into their communities. Doncaster has volunteered to take 3 families, likely to total around 15 individuals. The initial dates for families to arrive were confirmed within August, however due to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan this has been brought forward with the first tranche of families coming into the UK having already arrived in Calderdale and Leeds and undertaking the required Covid19 isolation period.

The first family due to arrive within Doncaster is now scheduled for the 26th of July with the remaining 2 families following at intervals within August. Accommodation has been located and confirmed via St Leger Homes, one within Balby and the remaining two within Bentley. An element of the funding, supplied through the scheme, is to establish these properties as homes which is currently underway in regards to furnishings, household goods and day to day equipment.
Integration support will be provided by the Refugee Council as with our other resettlement schemes. It has been confirmed that due to the nature of the work undertaken for the British Forces, the lead adult will have English language skills which will support their longer term integration, albeit the wider family will need additional support via ESOL and within schools.

As part of the ARAP programme arrangements are already in place for the children of the first family through Learning and Opportunities colleagues regarding school placements and language

support in school in line with normal placement processes and this will be the case for all subsequent families. Within school settings the expectation is for the use of existing funding allocated to support the provision such as the Pupil Premium. Wider ESOL provision for additional adults in the family or to support gaps in provision is to be arranged by the Refugee Council and the Local Authority as required.
Although the confirmed funding arrangements are still be received, the proposed funding guidance has been issued, as seen in Table 1 below, which outlines the ARAP Scheme will run in the same way as the UK Resettlement Scheme (previously Syrian Refugee Resettlement Scheme) and will be paid in 3 payments. It is likely that 40% of the funding will be available to be claimed on arrival in Doncaster, a further 30% at the end of month 4 and the final 30% at the end of month 8. However, the final arrangements are expected to be confirmed and shared with Local Authorities’ week commencing the 19th July 2021.

The Scheme aims to fund costs in a similar way to the existing UK Resettlement Scheme, with the exception of school education and health costs which are expected to be met by School establishments via their existing funding, and health costs via the Health service directly.
The majority of the funding from the Home Office will be in place for 12 months with the funding the Council receives being used to establish the family homes and providing what is needed to support their integration into the wider community.

The families will receive a weekly allowance, paid by the Refugee Council, which ends once they qualify for benefits or they become employed or up to 4 months, which they will be supported to do. In addition the rent payments allocated to each individual will also run for 4 months. However, due to the support that will be provided and the professional level the lead adult will have due to their previous roles in Afghanistan, it is anticipated that employment or benefit entitlement will be sorted within that time period which will support ongoing rent payments.

It is currently outlined that the Refugee Council will charge around £3500 per person for integration, although Migration Yorkshire are continuing to discuss this amount as it is a higher amount that has been previously seen in other resettlement schemes.

See attached Officer Decision Record regarding current funding information received.

To extend the partnership arrangements in place with Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire), who act as the accountable body and administer the funding, to support the resettlement of up to 3 Afghan family units within Doncaster over a 12 month period as part of the Home Office’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)

To approve receipt of funding circa £104k as part of the funding arrangement.

Non-participation within the voluntary scheme has been considered, but is not the preferred option as it would not be a humanitarian response and it would mean that Doncaster might be the only major town in Yorkshire and Humber not to participate.

As Doncaster has experience of accepting families on resettlement/relocation schemes, the measures to be taken to ensure the appropriate arrangements are in place prior to arrival, the ongoing support that will be required for the family once they are settled and the lines of responsibility between the Council, SLHD, Refugee Council and Migration Yorkshire are clear and in place.

Following the Home Office’s direct correspondence to the Chief Executive, both he and the Mayor, alongside Executive Board and Directors have pledged their support to the scheme for the number of families specified above.
Participation in the scheme is therefore recommended as the preferred option for managing the process and ensuring there is a positive outcome for the families.