Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the process is for her Department to respond to requests for a person to be offered move on accommodation in a specific geographical area, where that person is an Afghan evacuee from Operation Pitting (a) who is (i) eligible for move on accommodation and (ii) in hotel accommodation and (b) there is compelling evidence to demonstrate that being housed in a specific area is necessary to the wellbeing of that person.

We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary. We have moved – or are in the process of moving - over 6,000 Afghan Refugees since June 2021.

There is a huge effort underway to support families in bridging accommodation into permanent homes as soon as we can so they can settle and rebuild their lives, alongside ensuring those still temporarily accommodated in hotels are given the best start to their life in the UK.

The length of time that a family will remain in a bridging hotel is dependent on a number of factors including the availability of appropriate housing. We strive to allocate the right families into the right accommodation to ensure their integration into their new communities is as smooth as possible. To achieve this, we triage and prioritise families to ensure the settled accommodation provides the best possible match, taking in to consideration date of arrival into the UK, family size, vulnerability and integration factors.

Where Local Authorities or employers are able to offer accommodation in greater volume and more quickly, this overall timescale will reduce.

Whilst we will consider requests, and any compelling evidence, to be housed in specific geographical areas, the reality of housing pressures means this may not be possible especially in relation to London and the South East.