Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many immigrants to the UK from Afghanistan are still living in hotels awaiting resettlement; and how long have they been waiting.

There are currently 12,000 in bridging accommodation. This cohort is made up of British and Afghan nationals who may be eligible for Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)

The UK Government undertook the biggest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history, helping over 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan.

We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary and we have moved – or are in the process of moving - over 6,000 people into homes since June 2021.

Finding suitable homes for this number of people is a significant challenge. The length of time a family will remain in bridging hotels is dependent on a number of factors including the availability of appropriate housing.

We are working at pace across government and with over three hundred Local Authority partners to move Afghan evacuees into permanent homes as soon as possible so they can settle and rebuild their lives.