Herne Hill Welcomes Refugees appeals to local landlords

Local volunteers are appealing to local landlords to help support a family fleeing Afghanistan to settle in the Streatham and Herne Hill area as part of their  ‘Communities for Afghans’ programme. Herne Hill Welcomes Refugees is a partnership between the government and the charity Sponsor Refugees and are aiming to create a community-led pathway to help settle families escaping conflict to be supported settling into the community .

British troops were first sent to Afghanistan in 2001 when the US invaded Afghanistan as part of their war on terror following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. The main premise was to dismantle the Al Qaeda network led by Osama Bin Laden and deny islamic militants a safe base to operate from. British forces remained in Afghanistan until 2021 losing over 450 servicemen and women. It has been estimated that during the 20 year conflict, the longest in US history, between 176,000-212,000 people were killed.

In April (2021), Biden ordered a full withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11—the 20th anniversary of the devastating Al-Qaeda attacks on the U.S. that prompted the sprawling "War on Terror".
Newsweek

Shortly before the withdrawal in Sept 2021, the UK government pledged to resettle over 20,000 Afghans and opened the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. 

After the allies left, it is estimated nearly 6 million people were displaced as the Taliban retook control of the country. In 2024 there is still a crisis with nearly half a million former refugees being forcibly repatriated.

Herne Hill Welcomes Refugees wants to help Afghan refugees with the first step in their journey and are looking for accommodation for a family. 

This is a call to action for any local property owners, landlords or organisations out there - do you know of any accommodation in the local area that could be rented to a family for two years? 

Ideally the group is looking for a property with at least three bedrooms but are flexible on location. The property must have its own front door but can be within another building. The family themselves will be self-sufficient and are eligible to work on arrival. They will be supported by a set of volunteers to improve their English, look for work and find schools and GPs. 

According to Amnesty international, last year, Afghan religious minorities including Shia, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, Ahmadiyya and Ismaili continued to face marginalisation, prejudice and discrimination.

Without accommodation, the group say that the family will not be able to come to the UK. 

They will instead remain at risk of conflict and persecution every day: people in Afghanistan suffer extreme repression and human rights violations. The Taliban place increasing restrictions on women and girls and freedom of expression has been eroded. Those peacefully expressing views critical of the Taliban face enforced disappearance, unlawful detention and arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment. The Taliban enforce public executions and corporal punishment. 

If you would like to help please send an email to hernehillwelcomesrefugees@gmail.com.