ORGANISATIONS across Wrexham and Flintshire have been coming together to support Afghan refugees fleeing their country.

Councils and charities across the area are preparing to welcome refugees whose lives are in danger now the Taliban has taken over Afghanistan.

Wrexham Council has issued an urgent appeal for landlords to come forward to help house up to 10 Afghan families fleeing the country.

The council agreed to house the families, who have worked for the UK Government and British Military in Afghanistan, as part of the Afghan Resettlement and Assistance Programme.

A scramble is under way at Kabul Airport to evacuate nationals from Western countries and Afghans who helped them, amid fears of reprisals from the Taliban.

As a result of the dangerous situation in Afghanistan, both Wrexham and Flintshire Councils have stated that they will be doing their bit to support refugees through the resettlement and assistance programme.

Now Wrexham Council has taken the step of appealing directly to private sector landlords to get in touch so that appropriate accommodation can be found for the 10 or so families being relocated to Wrexham.

A Wrexham Council spokesperson said: "In July our Executive Board agreed to support up to 10 Afghan families under the Afghan Relocation and Assessment Programme.

"We have previously put out an appeal for private landlords to come forward to offer properties to people who have worked for the UK Government and British Military in Afghanistan and their families.

"Families will be supported with accommodation in the private rented sector when they arrive, integration and employability support will be provided by the Red Cross and other partner organisations. We are now looking for family accommodation in the private housing sector for these families.

"Due to the urgent nature of the resettlement we are taking the unusual step of appealing directly to any landlords with properties that they feel may be suitable for a resettled family to please contact locallettings@wrexham.gov.uk as soon as possible to discuss further."

Welcoming families

Cllr Hugh Jones, Wrexham Council's lead member for communities, partnerships, public protection and community safety, said: “The proposal to take part in the Afghan Relocation Scheme received unanimous support from members and we know that Wrexham will welcome families who have done so much to support our troops and the British Government whilst they were on active duty overseas. If you have a suitable property please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

Cllr David Griffiths, Armed Forces Champion and lead member for housing, added: “I was proud to support this proposal to offer eligible families much needed support in order to ensure they remain safe following their service to UK troops and the UK Government.

“Without their help and the sacrifice of their own safety the deaths of our armed forces personal would have been much higher. Their lives, and those of their families will be at risk if we are not able to offer refuge and show our gratitude for their service.”

For more information on Wrexham Council's appeal visit https://news.wrexham.gov.uk/can-you-help-with-housing-for-afghan-families/.

At Flintshire Council, the chief officer for housing and assets, Neal Cockerton, said: “Flintshire will be supporting the Afghan Resettlement and Assistance Programme and is currently working with a number of agencies to understand specific requirements and details of such assistance.”

Meanwhile, the Refugee Kindness charity in North Wales say they are poised and ready to support any families coming to the area from Afghanistan.

Making their house a home

Chair of the trustees for the charity, Rachel Watkin said they would ensure that any families settling here would be given the household items needed and would be supported in terms of accessing things like health, housing and education.

She said: "We are supporting Afghan families who are already here and we are ready and waiting to support the families coming over here and also hoping and praying. These families come here and they have lost their homes. They haven't got family members here who can support them and give them items like furniture. We have lots of donors who have supplied the sort of things that the families coming here will need to make their house a home. This includes things like rugs and pictures, which might not be considered essential but they are so important.

"We are in touch with refugee families and a lot can't work because they haven't got English language skills, even though they are desperate to work. They are very proud and we are also here to help them link up with any other organisations who can help with issues such as housing, health and education. We become their friends."

The Leader: Councillor Teresa Carberry, mayor of Mold 2020/2021

Teresea Carberry

Teresa Carberry, Mold town councillor and chair of the trustees for Flintshire City of Sanctuary, said the charity was also on stand by to support refugees.

She said they were liaising with Flintshire Council and the British Red Cross and were ready to do their bit to support any families coming to the area from Afghanistan.

She added: "There are plans to accept refugees from Afghanistan here in Flintshire. We will be supporting the families when they come here. We also have some in our group who are befrienders. We recently invited the Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt to attend our annual general meeting and she recorded a video for us, where she talked about Wales being a nation of sanctuary. We're pleased that she took the time to do that. Some people do have misconceptions about refugees but they come here with many skills and really enhance our society."

Teresa added that she was pleased to see that Theatr Clwyd had been designated a Theatre of Sanctuary by the UK City of Sanctuary, working with the refugee community to even take a song to the Eisteddfod to celebrate Syrian and Welsh cultures.

Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami has called on the Government to do all it can to support those seeking asylum in North Wales and the rest of the UK.

He said: "I am highly concerned about the safety and welfare of Afghan civilians who have worked closely with British forces. As many people who served in Afghanistan have highlighted in recent days, their sacrifice should not be overlooked and the UK Government has a moral duty to take care of the people who helped us. In the chaos and confusion of the fall of Kabul, it seems many will now be left behind.

"The Government has made a commitment to speed up processing of applications under the existing scheme, but this excludes many who served in the most dangerous roles alongside British forces and even those eligible will be forced to wait in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan until they get a decision. When they do, it's unclear whether they will be allowed to leave.

"We shouldn't underestimate the threat to their lives and their families' lives, and that they are only in this position because they helped us. We cannot turn our backs on them now. It's reassuring to see local groups in North Wales as well as local authorities stepping up to offer support to people seeking sanctuary. Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and Dominic Raab should look at their moral leadership and focus on getting our allies to safety as an absolute priority."

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes said: "My heart goes out to everyone caught up in the crisis in Afghanistan and I will be attending the debate in parliament tomorrow (Wednesday). The Prime Minister has emphasised the need for a coordinated and concerted effort from the international community in the coming months to tackle the extremist threat and address the humanitarian emergency in Afghanistan. We do not want Afghanistan to once again become a breeding ground for terrorism and we are working with the UN and NATO to prevent other countries recognising the Taliban.

"We are continuing to provide the necessary support to facilitate the departure of British nationals and Afghan staff, with 600 additional military personnel deployed to assist relocation efforts. The UK remains committed to Afghanistan – we have provided more than £100 million in aid to Afghanistan this year and are working with our international partners to ensure that we continue to provide humanitarian support to the Afghan people."