We’ll soon be able to welcome the first families to the city as part of the national call to support people fleeing from the desperate situation in Afghanistan.
The first Afghan refugees who will settle in the city are scholars due to start courses at the University of Sussex on the ‘Chevening’ scheme and their families.
The Chevening scheme is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and offers potential future leaders from around the world a masters education in the UK.
We’ve been working closely with the University of Sussex and other partners to establish the support and appropriate accommodation to help resettle the families in the city, so they can begin their courses as planned.
We’re grateful for a number of offers of large self-contained private sector accommodation for people on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Programme to move into. As it’s important accommodation can best meet people’s needs, we are currently looking at them for suitability.
Thank you to everyone who has been in touch with generous offers of help.
We’re also in the process of setting up new casework contracts to make sure we have the right support in place for people to resettle successfully and safely in the city.
We are still looking for large, self-contained private sector properties on a long-term basis to support this humanitarian crisis to contact us by emailing refugeehelp@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
City of Sanctuary
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Leader of the Council, said: “Brighton & Hove has a proud history of solidarity and welcome for refugees.
“We’ve been working hard with partners to get support and accommodation in place for families fleeing the desperate situation in Afghanistan.
“It’s sadly been a complex and timely process and we have only very recently got the clarity from government we need to ensure the right support and private sector accommodation is in place.
“I’m pleased we’re now getting ready to start welcoming people to resettle in the city. Thank you to everyone who has offered their support. We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from so many people.
“We would like to offer support to more families in the city if we can find suitable accommodation. You can use the email refugeehelp@brighton-hove.gov.uk if you can offer help.”
Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, said: “Our Afghan Chevening Scholars have arrived under extraordinary circumstances.
“We are hugely grateful to everybody who helped to bring them safely to the UK and to Brighton & Hove City Council for helping us meet the urgent needs of our students and their families.
“As a University of Sanctuary, in the most welcoming city in the UK, I can think of no better place for them to rebuild their lives.”
