Service personnel and their families all over the UK are welcoming new Afghan neighbours into their community who have been relocated to the UK under the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP).
The ARP is a safe and legal pathway into the UK for Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Government and British Armed Forces in Afghanistan in exposed or meaningful roles or assisted UK efforts. As a result, these Afghans and their families face threats from the Taliban and are no longer safe in Afghanistan.
It is right that those arriving have somewhere suitable to stay once they are in the UK. To enable this, the Secretary of State for Defence made Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties available for some ARP families.
Further information and guidance about the ARP can be found on GOV.UK.
A message to service families
“I wanted to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to each of you for the support and warm welcome you have provided for the Afghan families who supported us during the Afghanistan Campaign.
“Defence has designed a booklet to provide you with information about the ARP and how we are fulfilling our obligation to the families resettling in the UK. Given our future requirement to be able to work with international partners – the manner in which we treat our partners from previous campaigns is an important part of our future license to operate.
“Your support and accommodation of our Afghan colleagues within your communities has not gone unnoticed and is greatly appreciated.”
Commander Op Lazurite