UK Accused of Letting Down Afghan Refugees After Two Years in Hotel Limbo
Afghan refugees seeking safety in the UK have been “let down” by the government, a new report reveals. Think tank More in Common warns some refugees have spent up to two years stuck in hotels — facing eviction with no homes to go to.
Operation Pitting: From Evacuation to Housing Crisis
The report coincides with the grim two-year mark since Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021. Operation Pitting evacuated around 15,000 people, including British nationals and Afghan allies. But many who arrived with nowhere to live were shoved into government-funded hotels meant as a “temporary” fix.
Shockingly, by the end of March 2023, 8,800 Afghans were still in hotel accommodation. The government set a hard deadline for clearing hotels by the end of August — but local councils warn millions face homelessness as suitable housing remains scarce.
Refugees Battling Bureaucracy and Broken Promises
More in Common surveyed 132 Afghan refugees, uncovering serious issues:
- Poor communication with local authorities and the Home Office
- Repeated rental application failures
- Offers of unsuitable homes hundreds of miles from where their families live
One refugee, stuck in Bristol near family, was offered permanent housing all the way in Northern Ireland — a clear example of the system’s shortsightedness.
Government Scrambles to Fix Resettlement Failures
The UK’s Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) has been slammed for moving at a snail’s pace. Only a small fraction of refugees have been resettled so far. The report calls for faster processing and better communication.
Cabinet Office Minister Johnny Mercer: “Things could always have been done differently, but I’m committed to making this work.”
Mercer says a tight end-of-August deadline has pushed progress, with 440 refugees rehoused in the past week. The Home Office has also pledged £285 million to get Afghans off the streets and into permanent homes.
But charities and human rights groups like Justice warn delays, confusion, and inconsistency still plague the schemes. They demand urgent reforms to support Afghanistan’s refugees properly.
As the UK marks two years since Kabul’s fall, the housing crisis and hardships Afghan refugees endure remain urgent issues — and the government faces growing pressure to step up.
