Afghan Resettlement Programme - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP)? 

   

  The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) is a UK Government resettlement programme led by the MOD, Home Office, Ministry for Housing Communities and supported by the Vale of Glamorgan Council. It brings together existing Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. The ARP offers relocation and resettlement to Afghan citizens, and their family members, who:

   

  • Worked for or with the UK Government to support the UK mission in Afghanistan;
  • Assisted the UK’s efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law;
  • Are considered vulnerable or in danger from the Taliban;
  • Were assessed as being at the highest personal risk as a result of the February 2022 data incident, at the time the previous Government became aware it had occurred.

   

  All Afghans who relocate to the UK through the ARP have arrived legally and have an immigration status of indefinite leave to remain (ILR). As such, they are able to freely live and work in the UK.

• How many people will be coming to the Vale of Glamorgan as part of the ARP? 

   

  ARP families are being accommodated across the UK to ensure a fair share across Local Authority areas. In the Vale, there will be up to 250 temporary residents, mostly in family groups. Families are expected to stay in the hotel (known as transitional accommodation) for up to nine months, although in practice most people will move on sooner than that. Living in a hotel is designed as a transitional, post-arrival measure, with support available to ensure that families are able to move on to their own settled accommodation as soon as possible. Once our original families move out, we may get additional new families, but we will not have more than 250 people at any one time.

   

  The use of this hotel as transitional accommodation has not led to any job losses for council or hotel staff.

• What is the immigration status of people arriving under the ARP scheme? 

   

  All those resetting in the UK under Afghan Resettlement Programme are coming to the UK legally and have Indefinite Leave to Remain from the UK Government and permission to live and work in the UK. They are regarded as settled in the UK.

• Where will the families live?

   

  The families will live in this transitional accommodation for up to nine months. Families are free to leave if they wish and the expectation is that they will look for suitable settled accommodation in Wales or across the UK. We do not disclose the addresses of our new residents to safeguard their privacy and confidentiality, which we ask everyone to respect.

• How long will families live in transitional accomodation? 

   

  Our new families can live in their transitional accommodation for a maximum of nine months. This is intended to provide time for them to find alternative long-term accommodation, as well as helping them to learn about life in the UK.

   

  We expect that some of the new families will remain in the Vale of Glamorgan in the longer term, but families will be encouraged to consider opportunities across the UK. Families will be supported to integrate with new host communities, as has happened successfully with Ukrainian, Hong Kong and Syrian arrivals in the last decade.

• Who pays for this scheme? 

   

  There is a UK Government funding package available to the council to support all new resettled Afghan arrivals to integrate into the UK and become self-sufficient. Councils can claim a ‘tariff’ per arrival on the ARP. We have taken up this funding to help us provide care, support and essential services like health and education.

• Did the Council apply to be part of the scheme? 

   

  No, this is a UK-wide cross-Government scheme and is not something councils can apply for.

• Why weren't residents consulted? 

   

  We understand that some residents may have questions. Transparency is important, and we will continue to provide updates as we welcome families to our area.

   

  In March 2025, the UK Government wrote to Leaders, Chief Executives and Strategic Migration Partners seeking urgent transitional accommodation for the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). The UK Government letter asked each region/nation to nominate transitional accommodation in line with their initial regional/national allocation of Afghan arrivals up to March 2026. Regional allocations have been established to ensure all nations and regions play their part.

   

  The UK Government had previously considered the use of the hotel in late 2024. Following another visit to the site in early April 2025, it was judged suitable for use as part of the ARP and therefore the Wales Strategic Migration Partner included the hotel in its return to the UK Government. Having confirmed the hotel was suitable, the Ministry of Defence engaged with the Local Authority and sought views on the proposed use. Subsequently the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the hotel.

   

  The use of the hotel fulfils Wales’ regional allocation for ARP transitional accommodation for the financial year 25/26.

• Will this affect the housing list? 

   

  The expectation is that during the nine months of transition, people secure employment and a private rented property. They work with dedicated housing support specialists as part of the Find Your Own pathway part of the ARP scheme, to make sure they have every opportunity to live independently in the UK, which is now their home.

   

  People can present anywhere in the country as homeless. If someone presents as homeless after the nine-month transition period, then we have a statutory duty to help them. However, homeless households must wait in turn like everyone else - they will not bypass the waiting list.

   

  Homeless households are not guaranteed social housing. We manage the housing list and help households who are either threatened with, or who are homeless, find accommodation through a personal housing plan. This includes numerous routes to alternate accommodation.

   

  Our duty to help homeless households can be discharged through an offer of suitable private rented accommodation. We often help homeless households find suitable rented accommodation instead of social housing.

• Do the new families get private healthcare? 

   

  No, families will not receive private healthcare. Individuals will be registered with local health services while living in the area and will be able to access the same level of care as other residents. They will be subject to the same waiting and response times. Our NHS partners will receive additional funding from the UK Government for every new patient registered.

• Security checks and integration support

   

  All those found eligible for the ARP have to undergo robust security checks and vetting before their departure, including for national security. If they do not pass these checks, they are not granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

   

  Most of those arriving will be family units who have been brought to the UK for humanitarian reasons, and many of whom worked or fought alongside British forces in Afghanistan, whilst others are targeted by the Taliban due to their commitments to human rights.

   

  All arriving guests have received UK cultural awareness briefs prior to arrival and to speed their progression to settled accommodation, jobs and being able to contribute to their new communities. Further induction briefings are given after arrival which will ensure they understand about life in Wales, including Welsh and UK laws and customs which keep everyone safe in our communities.

   

  The council regularly checks with the police regarding the safety of the local area and there is no evidence to suggest that crime will increase. Local residents do not need to be concerned about increased risks to their safety.

• Did you remove homeless people from the hotel to use it for the ARP scheme?

   

  The Council previously used the Holiday Inn Express as temporary accommodation for homeless people, but that arrangement ended in March before the UK Government opted to temporarily house Entitled Persons from Afghanistan there, so the two decisions are not connected.

   

  The people previously staying at this location were rehomed as part of the Council’s Rapid Rehousing Programme. The programme has involved the Authority building more social housing, securing greater access to private rental homes, remodelling existing council homes to cater for larger numbers of single people, and prioritising homeless people living in temporary accommodation for placement in social rented housing.

   

  There has also been an increase in the number of council-owned temporary accommodation units, including the Heol Croeso development in Llantwit Major, which caters specifically for Ukrainian refuges and those on the council’s housing waiting list.

• Will there be any additional pressures on our community services – schools and GP surgeries? How will this additional pressure be addressed?

   

  Initial conversations have taken place with local schools to assess existing capacity and the possibility of placing children, but no final decisions have yet been.

   

  The UK Government will provide funding to support education and increase the capacity of health services such as doctor’s surgeries.