Derbyshire County Council, together with district and borough councils in the county, stand ready to participate in the government’s scheme to relocate Afghan nationals who were employed locally.
The scheme will be funded by the government with councils taking part in the scheme being asked to:
-make reception arrangements upon arrival
-provide accommodation – in Derbyshire this would be the district and borough councils
-provide a package of advice and assistance including employment, welfare benefits, housing, health, education, and utility supply.
-help with registration with GPs and local Job Centre Plus including receipt of a National Insurance Number.
-help to secure school places for school aged children.
-provide cash support while benefit applications are being processed
In Derbyshire involvement in the scheme is dependent on the supply of suitable properties to house families.
Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, Councillor Carol Hart, said:
“We’re all too aware of the scenes in Afghanistan over the past few weeks, with people desperate to get out of the country.
“In Derbyshire we stand ready to do our bit to help those who helped our armed forces.
“We are working with colleagues in the district and borough councils to find suitable housing.”
As properties are identified they will be checked to ensure they meet the needs of the Afghan families. Once this has been verified, it will then be a matter of waiting for the Home Office to allocate families to the properties before the resettlement process can begin. We would expect to be able to welcome the first family in the near future.
