Orkney Councillors pledge to help Afghan families

“Our door is open – we are here to try and help people if we can” – this was the clear message for Afghan families being resettled in the UK from Councillors in Orkney.

However, there was also a note of caution by Elected Members to be mindful of the challenging situation facing many in the county sitting on Council housing waiting lists.

At Tuesday’s Full Council meeting, Frances Troup, the OIC’s Head of Community Learning, Leisure and Housing said: “This report relates to resettling Afghan households within the UK, specifically in this case through the Locally Employed Staff Relocation Scheme, so Afghan nationals who have worked with British forces in Afghanistan.

“The households concerned are already in the UK and are currently in bridging hotels while waiting for an offer of accommodation. The project concerned is humanitarian in nature and the last few months have seen the situation change and develop quite swiftly. All Councils in Scotland have been asked, through CoSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities), whether they could assist with resettling some Afghan households.

“A funding package has been put in place to assist with this process and our understanding is that additional costs can be sought where there is an evidenced need. The Council previously participated in the Syrian Resettlement Scheme and resettled four households. All have since left Orkney generally citing a lack of cultural diversity. Equally during their time in Orkney, they received significant support which has allowed them to develop the skills they needed to settle successfully elsewhere in the UK.”

Ms Troup highlighted that participation in the Syrian Resettlement Scheme had been incredibly resource intensive both in relation to staffing and finance.

She added: “This required specialist enhancement to the Council’s staffing levels through interpretation services and also impacted significantly on existing internal resources. Additional financial resources were made available by the Home Office and preparatory work was significant.

“It is understood that, in general terms, those being rehoused through the Afghan Scheme are relatively independent though initial resettlement, particularly the first four months, would be intensive. The assistance required is about a broad range of support, not only the provision of housing.

"As regards housing, the assistance sought may be about rehousing people for the long term, alternatively it may be about rehousing them for a period of time to allow them to become settled within the UK and they can then choose where they wish to settle over the longer term.”

Ms Troup pointed out that Orkney is currently experiencing very high demand for housing and this time, unlike the last time, there is no ability to source property from within the Council’s stock in a manner which would not impact on those on the Council’s waiting list.

She said: “The Council is currently dealing with very high levels of homeless households in temporary accommodation and is facing difficulties with permanently rehousing those households. There is sustained pressure on the Council’s waiting list. Given that the Council doesn’t have any current resettlement programmes, it does not have an available staffing resource to support this scheme therefore participation in it will require an additional resource to be recruited accordingly and time is of the essence.”

Considering the competing pressures on the Council, the report was developed from the potential position of looking at rehousing two Afghan households. An options appraisal was developed which focuses on seeking two private rental sector properties with a fall-back position involving Council housing, potentially working in partnership with Orkney Housing Association Ltd, if they wish to be involved.

Councillors agreed this position, and while all intimated their willingness to help, some also expressed a note of caution given the precarious position faced by the housing division.