BCP Council is asking any landlords and second home owners in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to provide homes for Afghan refugees arriving in the UK.
The events in Afghanistan have left many people without a home as they are forced to flee and seek safety here in the UK. The government have decided to introduce the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) to offer help for those who are or were Locally Employed Staff (LES) in the country.
This policy was announced on 29 December 2020 and officially started 1 April 2021. The scheme has been put in place to allow any current or former Locally Employed Staff directly employed by the UK government who were considered at serious risk to be relocated and given help to live temporarily within the UK for 5 years under a UK visa.
In order to provide shelter to these Locally Employed Staff, BCP Council are asking anyone who owns unoccupied homes to get in contact and lend a helping hand to those in need. If you have a suitable self-contained property to offer within the BCP area then the Council urges you to contact afghan.resettlement@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.