The UK Ministry of Defence is set to use a military complex in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan to house Afghans who worked with the UK government in Afghanistan but had to flee the country after the Taliban toppled the government in August 2021. The East Camp in St Athan will be home to 50 people by end March, with more expected to arrive in April. The Ministry of Defence said that a maximum of 180 people can be accommodated at the site.
Those who fled are eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme, which provides assistance to those who worked alongside the UK government in Afghanistan in “exposed and meaningful” roles and are under threat of intimidation from the Taliban. The UK MoD said: “We owe a debt of gratitude to those brave Afghans who risked their lives working alongside our forces in support of the UK mission.”
The East Camp will be used for six weeks before those staying there move to more settled accommodation. The Welsh government said that the programme was the responsibility of the UK MoD and they were “working constructively with” the Ministry to ensure that those unable to remain in Afghanistan were “able to integrate effectively”. The MoD is working with the Welsh government and Vale of Glamorgan council to ensure that the project is managed “with everybody in mind”, especially those living nearby.
In 2023, far-right groups protested after the MoD announced plans to house Ukrainian refugees at nearby Llantwit Major. The UK government said it was committed to protecting human rights and ensuring that those seeking support would be welcome in local communities across the UK
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More