Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy

The scheme was launched in April 2021 with the former Cumbria County Council welcoming families as early as July 2021. 

Afghan citizens who are eligible for relocation to the UK under the ARAP scheme may relocate with a partner, dependent children and additional family members who are also deemed eligible for relocation under the ARAP by the Ministry of Defence and suitable for relocation by the Home Office. 

Eligibility under the ARAP

ARAP operates via an application process, with Afghan citizens having to apply for the scheme using an online application form.

The application form is also available translated into Pashtu and Dari (GOV.UK)

Eligibility is initially considered by the Ministry of Defence, followed by a request for information about, and an eligibility decision on, their family members who are included in their application. 

Find out more about the UK eligibility criteria (GOV.UK)

Who provides the funding and for how long

The Home Office provides funds directly to the 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

As the ARAP has been set up to assist with those who have been employed by or served alongside the British Government in Afghanistan, security checks will have already been conducted at time of employment. As mentioned above, ARAP requires an application during which time eligibility checks and decisions are carried out by the Defence Afghan Relocations and Resettlement (DADR) team and this will include a background check on the Principal Applicant and their family who form part of the application. 

Applicants have the right to review if they are deemed ineligible for the scheme. Find out more about the review process (GOV.UK)

Accommodation

Eligible families have historically been placed in temporary accommodation prior to moving to LA sourced settlement properties, these were referred to as 'Bridging Hotels' which were spread out over the UK, mainly in the large metropolitan areas. These hotels are now closed and ARAP families are transported directly to LA sourced properties following their arrival into the UK.

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. This service is funded by the 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. They will also request police intelligence checks on individual properties, looking at general crime/risk but also more specifically at any local known hate crime.

In addition to LA sourced properties, the MoD in conjunction with with Mears Group may also procure properties for use on the ARAP. In this instance properties will be leased for occupation by ARAP families for 3-year periods from when Mears (on behalf of the MoD) sign the lease. Cumberland Council support ARAP families integration as normal in this case.

Finally, ARAP families may also benefit from a Find Your Own Accommodation (FYO) pathway, this allows them to source their own property but still receive the same support from the Local Authority when they arrive. This would be the same process of renting a property as any other resident in the UK. 

The ARAP pre-arrivals and intensive orientation

Upon initial allocation of a family, Cumberland Global Resettlement Service (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 informs 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 member's 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. 

Generally, under ARAP, Early Helps remain open for around 6 months following arrival, this is due in part because of the length of time ARAP families are on the scheme with CGRS, but also because some family members usually have a good level of English (due to working alongside the UK government) and so find it easier to resettle and integrate into the community. 

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

The ARAP scheme offers families Indefinite Leave to Remain status from the point of arrival into the UK so there is no need to apply for this at a later date. Families may wish to apply for UK Citizenship, in which case they would follow the same process as anyone else applying for this. Families under the ARAP scheme must reside in the UK for five years before they are entitled to this.