UK authorities spend over $1M daily to host Afghan refugees

Afghan refugees housed in hotels have refused moves to Scotland and Wales because they believe the countries are too cold and don’t speak English, Report informs referring to The Telegraph.

Around 9,500 Afghans and their families evacuated from Kabul after the Taliban takeover of the country are still being housed in hotels a year on, at a cost of about £1 million a day.

This comes on top of the £3 million-a-day taxpayers’ bill for hotels for 26,000 asylum seekers including Channel migrants.

About 7,000 Afghan refugees have received permanent accommodation through councils but Home Office officials have yet to find appropriate housing for the remaining 9,500 evacuees.

Some have refused accommodation with reasons including that they do not want to go to Scotland or Wales because they believe they don’t speak the language and the countries are cold, according to sources.

About 350 councils have signed up to house Afghan refugees but officials said it was a complex process, particularly given the larger size of many families.

Lord Harrington, the refugees minister, has appealed to councils to help get people out of hotels and into housing, saying that in June there were fewer than 100 properties available.

In a letter to councils, dated June 27, Lord Harrington said the Government needed another 2,000 properties including more than 500 four-bedroom homes for the remaining 10,500 people.

He said the Government was reaching out to landlords, developers and the wider private rented sector, including property listing website Rightmove, to encourage further offers of properties.

The Home Office said it faced a “challenge” of insufficient local housing accommodation in the UK, “not just for Afghans and those in need of protection but also British citizens who are also on a waiting list for homes”.

“While hotels do not provide a long-term solution, they do offer safe, secure and clean accommodation,” the Home Office added in its statement.