LONDON: The UK Minister for Veterans’ Affairs has said that it is a national duty of the UK to house Afghan refugees who have been asked to leave temporary accommodation by the end of the month, Western media reported on Saturday.
UK has ‘National Responsibility’ to Accommodate Afghan Refugees: Minister
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer called for landlords to provide accommodation to Afghan refugees using taxpayer-sponsored rental deals amid fears that many could be left homeless after the government order, media reported.
The Minister said that the scheme would need a “national effort” in order to avoid leaving vulnerable refugees without homes, though many should “manage their expectations” and take accommodation offers outside of desirable areas, including London.
Many Afghan refugees have refused housing offers that are part of the UK government’s strategy to end accommodation in hotel. The Minister said: “I honestly did not meet anybody who could not find houses. It is just they (refugees) have to manage their own expectations as well.
The Minister said that some of the Afghan refugees wanted to live in a 8-bedroom house in London, right but that was never going to happen. Johnny Mercer maintained that the UK’s hotel accommodation policy was failing.
Earlier, in March, the ministers said that around 4,300 Afghan citizens still eligible for evacuation to the United Kingdom (UK) remained in Afghanistan and other nations.
The Minister further said that being a nation, they have a duty to these people, and they all need to kind of lean in and get this done, irrespective of their politics.
