Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the number of people allowed to resettle in the UK through the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme.

The Government has committed to welcoming around 5,000 people in the first year of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, and up to 20,000 in total. This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in our country’s history. Dedicated officials have worked day and night to support this unprecedented response.

The Government is also supporting thousands of Afghan people through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

It is important that we resettle people safely and provide appropriate support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. When considering the number of people we resettle, it is right that we take into account the capacity of local communities to provide this support, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.

I would like to thank all local authorities who have already pledged help and encourage others to come forward and support the efforts to resettle Afghans.