The government has announced two schemes in response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; the afghan citizen’s resettlement scheme (ACRS) and the ARAP (Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy) scheme for Locally Employed Staff (LES) scheme. The council is committed to supporting both schemes, having previously welcomed refugees through resettlement programmes since 2016. It is working with the local armed forces community to explore targeting families under the ARAP scheme for arrivals in Herefordshire.

Local authorities were asked to send details of their offers to resettle refugees to the Home Office by 23rd September 2021. Herefordshire council has undertaken to resettle 56 Afghan refugees during November and December 2021. The 12 families will be accommodated in local social housing.

Refugees require support from those experienced in the resettlement process and understanding the needs and challenges of refugees when settling into a new life. Intensive support is required in the first few weeks after arrival and then then support is tapered off and gradually reduced, so that it concludes 12 months after arrival. This reflects good practice in resettlement and also aligns with Herefordshire’s strengths based approach, promoting independence. The service is complemented by specialist ESOL language support and input from a variety of agencies to ensure that families have appropriate access to education, benefits, health and other services. Continuing support is also provided to refugees during years two onwards of their resettlement, including English language, tenancy support and around access to employment. These continuing services are commissioned separately and are not covered by this decision

The council has commissioned refugee support and orientation services twice before, in 2016 and 2018. In each case, the level of interest from the market was limited and Refugee Action were the only specialist provider to bid and were awarded the contracts on both occasions. This reflects the specialist nature of the service and that Refugee Action is one of a very small number of specialist charitable agencies operating nationally. The speed at which the Afghan refugee programmes have been implemented and the timing of Herefordshire’s accommodation offers being available necessitate a direct award of contract.

The proposed contract will provide for two cohorts of refugees totaling up to 85; approximately 56 arriving by December 2021 and up to 30 arriving by June 2022. Each individual and family will receive 12 months’ support from their arrival and so the contract will be of 20 months’ duration altogether. This includes an initial mobilization period during November 2021.

Refugee Action can mobilise staff to support the planned arrival of refugees in 2021 and then will recruit employees and volunteers locally to support the programme over the duration of the contract.

Funding of £20,500 per person over three years will be provided to local authorities to resettle Afghan refugees and it has been confirmed that people on both schemes will be awarded refugee status and five years leave to remain. This gives families all the rights of UK citizens, including access to benefits, housing and the NHS.