35 students from Afghanistan, who won the prestigious Chevening scholarship this year have arrived in Britain. Some of them have come for a one-year master's degree course in the UK have been allowed to bring immediate family with them. However, scholars have also been told that it only applies to spouses and children, not parents. Many have complained that have complained and expressed concern about leaving their families behind in Kabul, Afghanistan, where their lives are under threat.
Dominic Raab told The Sky, “Most of those are difficult cases where it's not clear about eligibility because they're undocumented.” According to the Times, by the end of August 28, 1200 people were evacuated on British flights including 300 British nationals.
Meanwhile, Metro UK reported up to 30 councils in the UK, refused to accept any of the 1000s of refugees who were evacuated from Afghanistan in recent days. The government had pledged to house 20,000 people who fled from the country since the Taliban took charge. Many of them have been unable to find accommodation since they arrived. Telegraph reported that a request was sent out to 333 councils in the UK, in an attempt to find suitable homes out of wait around 100 signed up to take some of the refugees but 30 said no, claiming that they don't have resources, and they have their own concerns amongst those who have fled, our translators and their families who worked with British forces in Afghanistan.
Prime Minister's Office 10 Downing Street, published a press release titled Operation Warm Welcome for Afghan arrivals, which said, “Work is underway across the whole of government to ensure that Afghans who stood by us in conflict, their families and those at highest risk who have been evacuated are supported as they now rebuild their lives in the UK. operation warm welcome will be overseen by Victoria Atkins, as the new minister for Afghan resettlement.”
More details will be announced in early September, which will include £5 million for local councils to provide housing support and offer a vaccine for everyone on arrival and access to rapid mental wellbeing and trauma support.
Reacting to the ongoing crisis, the Afghan Council of Great Britain (ACGB) exclusively listed few salient points for Asian Voice. They read as follows:
Through Asian Voice, we want:
1. The British Asian community to stand with us to raise their voice on the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Afghanistan, and call on their MPs and UK government to resettle and offer protection to all women, minorities and families of British Afghans who seek protection from UK.
2. The British Sikh community to work with us to help evacuate and resettle British Sikhs from Afghanistan, who face an existential risk to their lives and property.
3. The British Hindu community to raise their voice and work with us to help evacuate and resettle British Hindus from Afghanistan, who face an existential risk to their lives and property.
4. Similarly, we urge the British Muslim community to raise their voice and work with us to prevent and stop the ongoing persecution of Muslim minority sects and stop the ongoing sectarian persecution of the vulnerable Muslim groups such as Hazaras in Afghanistan.
5, Last, but not least, we call on the British Asian business community to work with us and Afghan Business Association to help create jobs for the new Afghans arriving in the UK, help them start businesses and turn them into engines of economic success for our communities and countries instead of turning them into donation addicts living on state benefits.
