A Home For The Displaced: Exploring The Possibility Of Housing Afghanistan Refugees

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has resulted in a refugee crisis, with millions of Afghans fleeing their country and seeking asylum elsewhere. In response, governments and companies have come forward to provide housing and other forms of assistance to Afghan refugees. Notably, Airbnb has launched an initiative to provide free, temporary housing for 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide, and has opened up this opportunity to anyone with available space, not just current hosts. This initiative is being funded through Airbnb.org, a nonprofit organisation, as well as through donations to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund. In addition to housing, refugees also require other basic necessities such as food, medical care, and home goods. Organisations like the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and HIAS are also providing support and resettlement services to Afghan refugees, and are always looking for volunteers and donations to help address these urgent needs.

Housing Afghan refugees in London

London has a history of providing sanctuary to those in need, and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has expressed his willingness to help Afghan refugees. In a letter to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, Sadiq requested financial support to help boroughs provide accommodation, healthcare, and education to refugees, as well as help them settle into their communities.

London boroughs account for a quarter of the permanent homes available under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). Islington is the first borough to secure funding from the Mayor's Right to Buy Back scheme to bring 80 homes back into council ownership, 20 of which will be family-sized homes for Afghan refugees. The Mayor's team is working with councils to explore how the Greater London Authority (GLA) can support the rehousing of Afghan arrivals, and the GLA currently has agreements with two boroughs, Hounslow and Islington, to deliver a total of 40 homes for Afghan refugees.

In addition to government initiatives, charities such as Rooms for Refugees and Refugees at Home are also connecting refugees and asylum seekers with hosts in the UK. Airbnb has also announced that it will help house up to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide, and anyone can sign up to provide housing for refugees through their dedicated website.

Airbnb's initiative to house Afghan refugees

Airbnb has launched an initiative to help house Afghan refugees. The company has pledged to provide free, temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide. The cost of these stays will be funded through contributions to Airbnb.org from Airbnb and its co-founder and CEO, Brian Chesky, as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

Airbnb has stated that anyone with available space, not just current hosts, can sign up to provide housing for Afghan refugees. Those who are interested can sign up through a dedicated website for emergency housing. The company will coordinate with hosts to offer their homes to refugees for free or at a discounted rate, with Airbnb covering the rest of the bill and any other operational expenditures. Airbnb will waive its fees on all refugee stays.

The initiative builds upon Airbnb's previous efforts to support those in need. The company's nonprofit arm, Airbnb.org, was established in 2020 with the goal of facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis. Since its establishment, Airbnb.org has helped shelter those displaced by natural disasters and offered accommodation to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to providing housing, Airbnb has also called on fellow members of the global business community to join efforts to support Afghan refugees. The company has urged businesses to get involved with organizations such as Tent.org, which works to mobilize business support for refugees.

Airbnb's initiative comes at a time when there is an urgent need for housing for Afghan refugees. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are currently around 2.5 million registered Afghan refugees, and this number is expected to grow as more people flee Afghanistan.

Refugees at Home charity

The Refugees at Home charity has been around for a while, placing about 2,500 refugees across the UK since February 2016. The charity normally hosts people who have been granted refugee status but need time to settle in, as well as asylum seekers waiting for their applications to be processed.

The Refugees at Home charity has accommodated about 2,500 people since February 2016. The charity has been placing refugees in Glasgow, London, Manchester, Bristol, and Birmingham. The charity is training four new volunteers to deal with the influx of applications. They are prioritising certain cities for placements – London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, and Glasgow – because there are always more people wanting placements in those cities than there are willing hosts.

Who are the hosts?

The charity has seen a variety of people come forward as hosts, including retired people and empty nesters, as well as those with small children. Some hosts have several rooms or even a separate flat or house they can offer, while others have offered to move out of their living room to make space.

Who are the guests?

The Refugees at Home charity has not received any new Afghan arrivals yet. The charity has been hosting 40 guests, none of whom are from Afghanistan. The charity usually hosts people who have just been granted refugee status but need time to find their feet, as well as asylum seekers waiting for their applications to be processed and those who have been refused asylum and are appealing.

If you are interested in hosting a refugee, you can sign up with charities such as Refugees at Home, which connects refugees and asylum seekers with hosts around the UK. You can also contact your local council to offer to host, although they may not yet know how many families will be heading their way.

The UK government's Afghan resettlement scheme

The UK government's Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) was launched in January 2022. The scheme aims to resettle up to 20,000 people over the next few years, with a focus on those who remain in Afghanistan or the region. The UK government has committed to resettling more than 5,000 people in the first year of the scheme.

The ACRS is designed to provide a route to safety for those put at risk by recent events in Afghanistan, particularly those who have assisted UK efforts and stood up for values such as democracy, women's rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law. Vulnerable people, including women, girls, and members of minority groups at risk, will also be prioritised.

The scheme is not application-based; instead, eligible individuals will be prioritised and referred for resettlement through three pathways. The first pathway includes vulnerable and at-risk individuals who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme. The second pathway involves referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who will identify vulnerable refugees who have fled Afghanistan. The third pathway offers a route to resettlement for those who supported the UK and international community efforts in Afghanistan and those who are particularly vulnerable.

The ACRS demonstrates the UK government's commitment to expanding and strengthening safe and legal routes to the country for those in need of protection. The scheme is separate from the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which offers relocation to current or former locally employed staff assessed to be under serious threat.

Asylum seekers in London

London has a long history of providing refuge to asylum seekers. According to the UN, there are around 133,000 refugees in the UK, most of whom will have applied for asylum before being recognised as refugees by the government. Londoners have already hosted over 1,000 placements since 2017 through the Refugees at Home scheme, and more community groups and local authorities are making plans to welcome Afghan refugees into their communities.

In the UK, an asylum seeker is someone who has applied for asylum under the 1951 Refugee Convention on the Status of Refugees, on the grounds that they have a well-founded fear of persecution if they return to their home country. A refugee is an asylum seeker whose claim has been successful.

Most asylum seekers are unable to pay for their own housing and are not allowed to work. They can claim financial support and accommodation under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if they are destitute or likely to become destitute. Initially, they will be in initial accommodation, similar to a hostel, before being moved into dispersed accommodation provided by the Home Office.

In London, asylum seekers are first accommodated in Barry House in Southwark and Brigstock House in Croydon before being moved to dispersed accommodation across London or outside the capital. London boroughs such as Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Newham, Hillingdon, and Ealing have seen high concentrations of dispersal accommodation.

The Home Office aims to process asylum applications quickly, but 61% of applicants have been waiting for a decision for over six months. During this time, asylum seekers receive a weekly allowance of £37.75 and, if needed, a home to live in. However, once an asylum seeker receives a decision, they have just 28 days to leave their dispersed accommodation, which can be challenging.

London boroughs play a crucial role in preventing homelessness among newly recognised refugees by providing financial support to help them secure tenancies. Organisations like the British Red Cross, the International Rescue Committee, and the Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers also provide various forms of support, including language skills improvement, administrative tasks, and mental health services.

Londoners who want to host Afghan refugees in their homes can sign up with charities such as Rooms for Refugees and Refugees at Home. Airbnb has also announced that anyone can sign up to provide free or discounted temporary housing for Afghan refugees through its platform.

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