Afghan citizens who are eligible are assessed against certain criteria and are assisted to relocate to
the UK, along with their immediate family.
We have resettled families under this scheme since commencement, however some families may have arrived into the UK earlier than the launch date due to the need to flee Kabul in August 2021.
The UK government have pledged to resettle up to 20,000 individuals over the coming years. This is
in addition to those settled under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) which is a separate scheme.
Eligibility under the ACRS
The ACRS scheme prioritises:
- those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as, democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law
- vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+)
The scheme is not application based. Instead, eligible people will be prioritised and referred for
resettlement under 1 of 3 pathways.
Pathway 1
Vulnerable and at-risk individuals who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme have been first to be settled under ACRS. Eligible people who were identified by the UK government with assurance of evacuation, but were not able to board safe flights, and currently reside in a country considered safe by the UK are also eligible under Pathway 1.
Pathway 2
The UK government are able to receive referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for vulnerable refugee families who have fled Afghanistan for resettlement in the UK. This process runs similar to that of the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) in regard to security and eligibility checks. Pathway 2 families may include Afghan nationals who left Afghanistan to neighbouring countries earlier
Pathway 3
This pathway has been designed to offer a route to resettlement for those at risk who supported the UK and international community effort in Afghanistan, as well as those in particularly vulnerable.
Who provides the funding and for how long
The Home Office provides funds directly to the Cumberland Global Resettlement Service (CGRS), Health and Education. Funding is in place for the duration of the scheme which is three years.
Checks that are carried out under the scheme
Checks vary depending on the pathway for ACRS.
For Pathway 1, individuals and their families were already identified by the UK government as being
eligible and were offered assurance of evacuation from Afghanistan.
Pathway 2, families are assessed by UNHCR in the same way as those arriving under the United
Kingdom Resettlement Scheme.
Under Pathway 3, the first stage focused on considering eligible, at-risk people for resettlement from
3 groups:
- British Council contractors
- GardaWorld contractors
- Chevening alumni
With these three groups having to complete an Expressions of Interest online, and confirmation of resettlement coming from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This initial stage has now closed to these 3 groups. The current focus is on those who remain in Afghanistan or the region. Any offer of resettlement will be contingent on security screening, including checks against security and databases, and provision of biometric information.
Accommodation
Local Authorities provide offers of accommodation to the Home Office via the Regional Strategic
Migration Partnerships (RSMP).
In Cumberland, the Cumberland Global Resettlement Service (CGRS) secures properties via a combination of Social Housing and Private Landlords, depending on availability. CGRS are funded by Home Office to furnish and decorate properties to bring them up to a decent standard, furnishings provided are basic and include white goods, but we do not provide other luxury items such as televisions. During this time a family will be matched to the property by the Home Office. We will also request police intelligence checks on individual properties, looking at general crime/risk but also more specifically at any local known hate crime.
As with ARAP, some ACRS families may be placed in transitional accommodation, however this does
not include MoD sites, these will be Pathway three families in the main.
As with UKRS, for Pathway 2 families arrangements will be made between the CGRS, Home Office
and RSMP to collect families from approved airports and transport them to their resettlement
accommodation in Cumberland.
The ACRS pre-arrival and intensive orientation
Upon initial allocation of a family, CGRS complete their own checks against suitability and send
medical information to the North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENCICB) and Public Health to ensure any specific medical needs can be met in the Cumberland region.
Once these checks are complete and approved, CGRS inform RSMP and Home Office, who arrange
transportation from transitional accommodation to the property.
Upon arrival into Cumberland, families are met by an allocated Case Officer and, over the
next two weeks, complete an intensive orientation, which includes:
- signing of tenancy agreements
- registering with GP’s, and then undergoing an initial health check
- registering for Universal Credit via Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- setting up utilities, including internet, water, gas and electricity
- registering with English Speaking for Other Languages (ESOL) lessons
- registering children and young people into schools or further education
- local orientation support, including showing them around the area, introducing the family to other families and support networks, taking them to local shops including Halal shops
- introductions to UK values, ways of life, laws and customs
Early Help support
Case Officers complete an Early Help Assessment with the family with a focus on their
integration and resettlement into Cumberland. This is bespoke and individualised for the family ensuring that each family members voice is adequately heard and considered in the assessment.
As part of the Early Help, families and professionals will contribute to Team Around the Family
review meetings looking at individual actions for each member and scaling the family’s overall
integration.
Early Help Assessments remain open for around 6 months, however this may increase depending on the pathway ACRS families arrive under and their level of English or familiarity with the UK - for example, some ACRS families have worked alongside the British government as contractors and so may settle quicker than others.
Following successful completion and closure of the Early Help Assessment families are referred to
drop-ins across Cumberland, English cafes and third sector partners. As the family are with the scheme for up to three years, we can continue to maintain relationships with the families which will allow us to escalate support should they require it, this could also include re-opening Early Help Assessments.
Indefinite Leave to Remain
As with the ARAP, those arriving under ACRS will be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) with
the right to apply for UK Citizenship following five years of being in the Country.