The leader of Staffordshire County Council has pledged to support families fleeing Afghanistan.
Around 20 families of people who assisted the British armed forces are expected to be welcomed to the region as part of the Government’s Afghan Relocation Assistance Programme.
The county council is working with partners such as Refugee Action to ensure support is in place for families when they arrive in Staffordshire.
Cllr Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Staffordshire has a long and proud history record of helping those fleeing repression and violence, as we have demonstrated in recent years by helping vulnerable families fleeing Syria.
“We are pledging to do our bit to support Afghans who have helped British forces, or who are vulnerable and whose lives are at risk if they stay in Afghanistan.
“While we are already forging ahead with plans to accommodate people, we have asked the Government for more detail on its plans to relocate some 5,000 vulnerable people from Afghanistan in the UK.
“As with the Syrian refugees a few years ago, we will only take those we know we can safely and readily accommodate. This means working closely with our district and borough councils, plus Refugee Action and local charities to ensure we have everything in place for when they arrive.
“We have also seen tremendous support from local people, who are already asking us what they can do to help – I would expect nothing less from the residents of our county, who have always been willing to help those in need.
“As soon as we get further details from Government on this latest scheme, we will be able to see exactly what support we can provide.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
