Local Politicians Call for Action on Afghan Refugees
Ruth Cadbury criticises government whilst borough Tories want to see council plan
A British soldier helps an Afghan family on board a plane to the UK. Picture: MoD
Politicians across the political spectrum in the local area have called for decisive action to be taken to support people fleeing Afghanistan following the takeover by the Taliban.
Brentford & Isleworth MP Ruth Cadbury has criticised the government’s response as inadequate whilst local Conservatives have called on Hounslow Council to outline its approach to the crisis.
Since the fall of Kabul on Sunday, Ms Cadbury MP says she and her team have been working to assist Afghan constituents. She has urged those who need assistance to come forward and contact her office at ruth@ruthcadbury.org.uk.
This week, alongside Seema Malhotra MP, she met with members of the Afghani community in Hounslow. The Afghan Sikh and Hindu community were deeply concerned for the ethnic minorities of the country, and for the future of women and girls in Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, Parliament was recalled to debate the unfolding events in Afghanistan, and the government was criticised for the lack of an orderly exit strategy. There was cross-party condemnation of the government’s approach, including from MPs who had served in Afghanistan.
After the debate in Parliament , Ms Cadbury said, “I am deeply concerned for the humanitarian situation on the ground and how the events of the last week threaten the progress that has been made by the Afghan people over the last twenty years. Many in our local community have friends and family in Afghanistan, or have served in the armed forces, and they desperately need support from the government as the situation is quickly turning into a humanitarian catastrophe.
“The government’s attempt to reassure Parliament that it has a plan to support the Afghan people was inadequate. We have had eighteen months to plan an orderly exit strategy, yet the government had no plan to assure the Afghan people that despite our troops withdrawing that we would not be abandoning them or their aspiration for democracy.
“The refugee resettlement programme does not go nearly far enough and the 20,000 over five years is a deliberately arbitrary figure and does not meet the scale of the challenge. We owe a deep obligation to those who have supported us over the last twenty years, and especially to the women of Afghanistan who we encouraged to enter public life who now find themselves as targets of the Taliban.
“Those who have served in Afghanistan, the armed forces, aid workers, journalists, photographers, support staff, civilian contractors, and diplomatic staff, as well as the Afghan people deserve better than the dereliction of duty we have seen from the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary.”
She went on to acknowledge all those who have come forward so far, and to thank the hundreds of constituents who have been in contact offering their solidarity, help and concern to those affected by the events of the last week.
She added, “They have demonstrated the great care that West Londoners have for their community and those affected by the crisis. “
The Conservative Group on Hounslow Council have welcomed the government’s newly announced Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme that will operate alongside the revamped Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the earlier separate Ex Gratia Scheme (ESG). It has urged Hounslow Council to do their bit in supporting the government with this programme.
Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative Group of LB Hounslow Council, Councillor Gerald McGregor, explains that, “With each local authority playing its part, only a handful of refugees (with/without families) will need to be housed by each council. We stand ready to work with local volunteer groups such as the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA) in Feltham. It is imperative our Council here in Hounslow steps up and joins the national effort quickly and help avert further tragedy. I am disappointed to have heard little from the administration regarding this so far about what we will be doing here in our borough”.
Councillor Michael Denniss, Shadow Spokesperson for Housing, states, “We must find suitable housing for these very vulnerable people who are seeking a safe-haven in our part of the world. This issue is particularly close to me, given my family’s history as refugees fleeing persecution from the Russian Empire. We made the United Kingdom our home and it could be home to many more who desperately need it.
“The London Borough of Hounslow is a diverse, welcoming and caring place to live. It is home to thousands of people from across the world. It is only right that we invite others in their darkest hour to join our communities and neighbourhoods.
“We await to hear from the Council on their approach to this crisis. “
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
August 20, 2021