Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy overseas letter
Published 27 June 2023
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Information on UK accommodation for those assessed as eligible through either ACRS Pathway 3 or the ARAP scheme
25 May 2023
You may be aware that the UK government announced on 28 March 2023 that people under both the ACRS and ARAP who are currently living in hotels and serviced accommodation in the UK will be required to move out. They will be given support to find settled homes. This is because hotels are not - and were never designed to be - a permanent solution.
We are continuing to work hard to help eligible people to relocate to the UK and, where appropriate, support them to find suitable accommodation as soon as possible.
This announcement does not have any effect on decisions about eligibility for relocation or resettlement to the UK. The UK government will continue to honour its commitments to bring eligible people to the UK, into suitable accommodation. However, this will continue to take some time, and eligible people should expect to be waiting overseas for several months or longer.
Relocation to the UK under ARAP is subject to security and other checks, which includes biometric enrolment. In order to submit biometric data, eligible people must attend a visa application centre. Many people have opted to move to Pakistan. Appropriate support overseas is available before relocation to the UK.
The UK government will only arrange travel for eligible ACRS and ARAP people to the UK when suitable accommodation has been secured. This means that there will be a temporary delay in issuing new visas and facilitating travel until suitable accommodation is in place. Eligible people can either wait until accommodation is found for them, or they can arrange their own accommodation, possibly with help from friends and family members who may already live in the UK. Whichever option chosen, eligible people should wait overseas until granted permission to enter, and issued a visa to come to the UK.
If eligible people are considering arranging their own accommodation, further advice will be provided in due course to support them.
The UK government continues to work with Local Authorities and other partners to source suitable accommodation in the UK. We know everyone being resettled or relocated will be keen to understand timeframes, and we will share more details as soon as they become available.
Your ARAP caseworker in Pakistan remains your main point of contact.