Guidance

Bridging accommodation exit and interim accommodation provision for the ACRS and ARAP: policy guidance

Updated 26 March 2024

Purpose of this guidance

This guidance sets out the Home Office’s current policy position relating to those who have both been legally resettled under either the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) or Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP); and who are currently residing in bridging accommodation (hotel or serviced accommodation). It also sets out how the government’s plans to end the use of bridging accommodation will be implemented, and outlines the scenarios where guests may be provided with further interim accommodation once bridging accommodation closes.

Guests currently residing in a bridging hotel or serviced accommodation can refer to a guidance leaflet that was issued alongside notices to quit. Guests may also find further details of help available on our dedicated webpage.

What is bridging accommodation?

‘Bridging accommodation’ includes all accommodation procured by the Home Office for the purpose of providing temporary accommodation for those evacuated to the UK as a result of events in Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

Types of accommodation can include hotels and serviced apartments.

Bridging accommodation is not, and has never been, intended to be a settled housing solution. Bridging accommodation is provided as a safe interim solution while the UK government continues to support households into settled accommodation.

Background

The Home Office has been at the heart of the UK’s response to the fast-moving and challenging events in Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. Operation Pitting was the biggest UK military evacuation for over 70 years and enabled around 15,000 people to leave Afghanistan and get to safety.

Bridging accommodation was established at pace in July 2021 across the UK to provide safe and secure accommodation for people who were evacuated from Afghanistan under Operation Pitting, and who were eligible for resettlement or relocation to the UK as part of ACRS or ARAP. Operation Warm Welcome, which was established after the evacuation, has ensured all those resettled and relocated to the UK through ACRS and ARAP have been able to access the vital health, education and employment support they need to integrate into our society, including English language training for those who need it, the right to work and access to the benefits system.

Bridging accommodation has always been intended as a short-term solution. We are now ending the practice of Afghan households living in bridging accommodation in the UK, to help resettled Afghans to rebuild their lives. We believe that this will be in the best interest of all families and individuals, and will enable them to benefit from the security of settled housing and long-term consistency of public services, including schooling and the freedoms of independent living that only settled accommodation can provide.

As of March 2023, the UK government has announced plans to permanently end the use of bridging accommodation. It has reinforced its commitment to helping guests currently accommodated in bridging to find settled homes in the UK as quickly as possible.

Supporting organisations

The following organisations/teams support guests currently living in bridging accommodation:

Bridging Team (Home Office)

The Bridging team are responsible for managing the relationships and contracts with the hotels. The team are responsible for allocating bridging accommodation.

Accommodation Matching Team (Home Office)

The Accommodation Matching Team is responsible for matching Afghan guests in temporary accommodation to settled accommodation offered to the scheme by councils. They match households to accommodation in-line with the current matching process which relies on wraparound support providers identifying vulnerable households in their hotel and informing the Accommodation Matching Team who then seek to match those households based on suitability and availability of accommodation.

Councils

Councils work closely with the Home Office to provide wraparound support services to guests in bridging accommodation and to prepare them to move on to settled accommodation. Some councils also pledge to support the scheme and make offers of settled accommodation. The Home Office Accommodation Matching Team will seek to match suitable households to this accommodation in-line with their current matching process. The settled accommodation put forward by councils varies in type, size and tenure. Where a household takes up one of those properties, the council commits to providing them with integration support for 3 years. Councils might also provide integration support when a household moves to their area under the Find Your Own Accommodation pathway.

Local Authority Engagement Team (LAET) (Home Office)

The Local Authority Engagement Team work closely with councils to ensure appropriate support is provided to guests in bridging accommodation and to assist them in overcoming issues as they arise. They also work closely with councils to secure offers of settled accommodation and will work alongside colleagues in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to support councils throughout the resettlement and relocation process.

Devolved Government and Local Authority Engagement team (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Devolved Government and Local Authority Engagement Team work at the interface between Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and Local Authorities on Humanitarian resettlement. Regional leads act as the Single Point of Contact for Local Authorities on all DLUHC-related matters relating to the hotel exit programme.

Home Office Liaison Officer (HOLO) Team

HOLOs are based in bridging accommodation supporting guests throughout their stay and are the Home Office’s single point of contact for guests in bridging accommodation. HOLOs have a presence across all bridging accommodation and work to resolve issues guests may have during their stay. HOLOs are responsible for managing and supporting guests throughout the process, ensuring that any concerns are logged and addressed. Where issues are raised by guests that are not linked to Home Office functions, HOLOs will refer guests to the relevant authorities or services.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for helping those in bridging accommodation who are eligible to claim relevant benefits including Universal Credit and State Pension Credit, and assisting with queries about employment.

The Voluntary and Community Sector

A variety of voluntary and community sector organisations have a presence in bridging accommodation to support and provide advice and guidance on a variety of issues, including on life in the UK, employment, access to services, etc. to residents.

Support for guests in interim accommodation will differ, details of which are included later in this guidance under the headings:

• what interim accommodation will be provided to households who are pre-matched?

• provision of interim accommodation for households with medical needs

Living in bridging accommodation

Who is entitled to live in bridging accommodation?

Bridging accommodation has been provided by the Home Office for those on ACRS and ARAP schemes who required temporary accommodation after evacuation from Afghanistan as part of Operation Warm Welcome. All guests have benefited from the pledges made to them within the Accommodation Charter.

Accommodation charter (bridging accommodation)

Guests were provided with a customer charter when they arrived in bridging accommodation (included in Annex A of this document). This sets out our commitment to guests, explains the role of the Home Office and what we expect from guests in bridging accommodation.

We commit to putting guests’ needs at the heart of everything we do, minimising disruption to guests and providing clean, safe, and secure accommodation. We expect guests to adhere to their responsibilities, as detailed in the customer charter. Failure to do so will result in action being taken in accordance with the bridging accommodation’s policy and UK law.

All bridging hotels have a team of security officers on site to keep guests safe and ensure that accommodation is secure for those living there. There is an expectation that guests will treat partners working to support them in hotels with respect, in line with the behaviour contract. Any abuse or harassment towards partners will not be tolerated.

Bridging accommodation closure

In March 2023, the UK government announced plans to end the use of hotels and serviced accommodation and has reinforced its commitment to helping guests find settled accommodation in the UK in the coming months.

What is Settled Accommodation?

Settled Accommodation refers to long term accommodation. The Home Office is working alongside councils to support guests in finding suitable settled accommodation.

What should guests expect?

The UK government has issued legal notices to quit and supporting communications to guests in bridging hotels and serviced accommodation and will support them to find suitable accommodation for them to live independently.

Guests will have received a letter which will inform them of the date they need to leave their hotel or serviced accommodation. This is called giving ‘notice’ and the letter is a legal document called ‘a notice to quit’.

We now expect guests to take steps to find accommodation that they can afford, and which is suitable for them and their household’s needs. The UK government and relevant council will support them with this. For most people this will be in private rented accommodation. They may get financial support from their current or new council to rent a property that is suitable for them. For some this may include help with deposits, initial rent, and furniture costs.

What notice will guests receive before their bridging accommodation is closed?

We have provided guests with at least 3 months’ notice. Guests will need to make arrangements and to have moved out before their notice period expires. This date will be clearly indicated on their “Notice to Quit”. All issued Notices to Quit expire on or before 31 August 2023

Support available to guests finding settled accommodation

We understand that finding and securing a home in the private rental market can be difficult, particularly when individuals are in a new country. This is why we are providing extensive support to help guests find their first settled home in the UK.

We will provide support to guests in finding new accommodation in 2 ways: (i) Find Your Own Accommodation and (ii) for a small number of vulnerable guests, we may make an offer of appropriate settled accommodation.

Trained staff will be at bridging accommodation to help answer guest questions and give advice. These staff include Home Office Liaison Officers (HOLOs), council staff, work coaches and charities.

How to find your own accommodation (FYOA) in the private rented sector

The Home Office has partnered with the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to provide households with guidance in seeking their own settled accommodation in the private rented sector through the existing Find Your Own Accommodation (FYOA) pathway. Searching for private rented sector accommodation through the FYOA pathway is likely to be the best way for households to have control over where they move to.

Finding Your Own Accommodation process

To find their own accommodation, households should:

1. ask council staff in their current accommodation to help them complete a financial assessment to work out what they can afford.

2. discuss possible areas to move to with council staff. Council staff will contact other councils to find out whether they can help the household through the integrated support packages. Not all councils will be able to support, but this does not prevent the household from moving if they find a property that is suitable and affordable.

3. start the property search in the areas agreed. To search for properties, households should use websites like Rightmove, Zoopla, OpenRent, or many others. Households should enquire about multiple properties to increase their chance of securing one. Council staff in their temporary accommodation will be available to help with this.

4. households should tell the council staff in temporary accommodation when they find a suitable property. Councils where households are currently located will inform the receiving council of a households request to move to their area. Receiving councils are able to claim funding for households to support integration. A receiving council may choose not to claim funding to provide integration support. If the household move without the support of their new council, they may not provide the services they need.

5. the new council may be able to help with costs like initial rent, deposits and furniture. They may also provide ongoing resettlement support, like helping to find a nearby school and access to medical services

The Home Office can help with transport to move the household and their belongings to the new property. Home Office Liaison Officers can arrange this.

More information on how to find accommodation is available in the ‘how to rent’ guide on ​​GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent.

If it gets close to the date guests need to leave the bridging accommodation and they haven’t secured their own accommodation, we urge them to seek advice from their HOLO who will be able to advise on their next steps.

Changes to the current matching process

Closure of the Enhanced Matching Process from 21 April 2023

We wrote to guests on 9 May 2022 to tell them about the introduction of the Enhanced Matching Process (EMP), which explained that a maximum of 2 appropriate offers of settled accommodation would be made to a household. The Enhanced Matching Process has now closed. On 2 May 2023, we implemented a new one offer matching process for vulnerable households.

The Home Office has separately published guidance on how it will prioritise offers of settled accommodation, where it is available.

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to make an accommodation offer to everyone because the number of households seeking accommodation across the UK far exceeds the availability. We strongly recommend that if guests are allocated accommodation, they accept it. If they refuse accommodation that has been allocated to them, no further offers of accommodation will be made by the Home Office.

Who is eligible for support through the new matching process?

Only those who have been continuously living in a bridging hotel or serviced accommodation and have been identified as vulnerable by the wraparound support provider are eligible to receive an offer of accommodation under the new matching process. The Home Office has separately published guidance on how it will prioritise offers of settled accommodation.

‘Continuously living’ in bridging accommodation means that at least one member of the household has been living in the accommodation all the time since guests arrived. Guests who have moved into alternative accommodation, or guests who have been absent from their bridging accommodation for over 28 consecutive days without a reasonable excuse for their absence, but have kept their rooms, are considered to no longer be using their rooms as their continuous place of residence. They will therefore not be eligible for any offers of settled accommodation through the new matching process.

Although we will do our best to find guests a home, there will be very limited numbers of properties offered by the Home Office to households. Therefore, most guests will not be allocated a property through the matching process. Guests will need to find accommodation for themselves and their households. Home Office Liaison Officers and local councils will support guests throughout this process.

How will Local Authority Housing Fund properties and other new streams of accommodation be allocated?

The government will work with councils to agree clear processes, including prioritisation criteria, for allocating properties which become available including after people have left bridging accommodation.

Interim accommodation guidance

Definitions

A household

People with whom an individual has been accommodated while in bridging accommodation for at least 3 months.

Interim accommodation

Temporary time limited accommodation offered by the government and accepted by a household which is provided to cover the period before a household can move into property accepted by a household through the pre-matched process, and for households accepted as a medical case.

Provision of interim accommodation after bridging accommodation closure

As of July 2023, the Home Office is introducing new measures providing interim accommodation to a small number of households who are currently living in bridging accommodation. There are 2 scenarios where households may be offered interim accommodation:

• where a household has been pre-matched to, and accepted an offer of a suitable property that will be ready for move-in before the end of December 2023

• where an individual requires continued attendance at a specific hospital or other medical facility, either to undergo treatment themselves on an inpatient or outpatient basis or to support a member of the household who is undergoing treatment on either an inpatient or outpatient basis - this treatment cannot be moved elsewhere and to move the household out of their current area would have an adverse impact on the effectiveness of the treatment they were receiving if interrupted

For the provision of interim accommodation, a household is defined as the people with whom an individual has been accommodated while in bridging accommodation for at least 3 months

What is interim accommodation?

Interim accommodation is temporary, time-limited accommodation offered by the government and accepted by a household. Interim accommodation is provided to cover the period i) before a household can move into property offered through the pre-matched process and ii) for households who fall within the agreed medical cases.

Those who are offered and accept interim accommodation will be required to sign an excluded licence which will set out our commitments to guests, as well as guests’ responsibilities while in interim accommodation.

What is pre-matching?

In July 2023, the Home Office introduced an additional process of matching households to properties while they are still accommodated in bridging accommodation. The Home Office, working with local authorities, will now match a limited number of households to properties before the property is available to move into. This approach is called the ‘pre-matching process’

The pre-matching process is only available to eligible households who are living in bridging accommodation when the offer of a settled home is made. A household must have accepted the accommodation offer while still in bridging accommodation and before their NTQ expires.

For a property to be considered as part of the ‘pre-matching process’, it must be ready to move into after an individual’s Notice to Quit expires but before the end of December 2023.

This does not change the current Home Office ‘one offer’ accommodation matching process. If a household receives a pre-matched offer of housing, it will count as their one and only accommodation offer.

Offers of pre-matched accommodation will be very limited, therefore most households in bridging accommodation will not receive an offer. The Home Office will continue to provide as much support as we can to help guests find their own accommodation, including through the Find Your Own Accommodation scheme before their Notice to Quit expires.

Pre-matched households will receive 3 years of integration support from the local authority when they move into their property.

What interim accommodation will be provided to households who are pre-matched?

If a household accepts a pre-matched offer of housing, the Home Office will offer interim accommodation for the time between their Notice to Quit ending and them moving into the matched property up to the end of December 2023.

This accommodation may be in a location that is different from where they are currently living. It will be on a room-only basis, so households will have to arrange and pay for their own food, laundry, and any other costs.

Households will be required to enter into an excluded licence agreement, which is a written agreement that they will have to sign, setting out the status and terms of their occupation. This will also include an accommodation charter for interim accommodation, included as Annex B.

When will the provision of interim accommodation for pre-matched households end?

This provision will end once one of the following occurs:

• a household’s settled accommodation is move-in ready

• a household change their mind about accepting a pre-matched accommodation offer having previously accepted it

• a household reject the pre-matched accommodation offer they receive

• slippage in timings which mean the pre-matched accommodation will no longer be move-in ready before the end of December 2023 - households will not be allowed to remain in the interim accommodation provided by the Home Office beyond the expiry of their extended licence agreement and the LA who made the initial offer of accommodation will be responsible for providing interim accommodation until the pre-matched property is ready

• the household members being accommodated in the interim accommodation breach the terms of their excluded licence agreement

• at the end of December 2023

Provision of interim accommodation for households with serious medical needs

An individual and their household will be provided with interim accommodation by the Home Office where an individual requires continued attendance at a specific hospital or other medical facility. Treatment may include individual forms of inpatient and outpatient treatment, or to support a member of the household who is undergoing treatment on either an inpatient or outpatient basis where that treatment cannot be moved elsewhere. The household will need to provide evidence that a move out of their current area is not available and would have an adverse impact on the treatment they were receiving.

Treatment may include, but it not limited to:

• mental health support and treatment
• management of chronic conditions and communicable diseases
• physical therapy
• emergency on-going care
• primary, community and secondary care pathways (including necessary diagnostic tests and investigations following referral as well as surgical procedures and necessary aftercare)

Consideration will also need to be given for those individuals that have been referred for treatment but have not yet had their first appointment.

It is recognised that maternal stress in pregnancy has a detrimental effect on subsequent childhood development. Each case involving a pregnant woman should therefore be sympathetically considered on its own merits, including enabling a mother to remain in interim accommodation for the duration of her post-natal care where needed.

Identification of medical cases

Households who have previously refused an offer of settled accommodation under the one offer accommodation matching process will not normally be eligible for interim accommodation to enable them to remain in a location to continue medical treatment. However, exceptional cases will be considered in exceptional circumstances and in line with the standard operating procedure.

When a Local authority (LA), through their ‘move-on’ work with a household, becomes aware of a household meeting the medical case definition (above) they should:

• Advise their HOLO and the LAET of the household so that Home Office records can be updated
• The interim accommodation management team will review the evidence provided and consider if the request meets the threshold of medical evidence needed to justify the provision of interim accommodation and advise the LA and household of their decision.

Evidence accepted

The household will be advised, either in writing or verbally by the HOLO that their evidence has been accepted and interim accommodation will be arranged.

Evidence rejected

The household will receive a letter informing them that their evidence has been rejected and where the decision is made prior to the expiry of their NTQ they will need to make their own onward accommodation arrangements. Where the decision is reached after they move to interim accommodation, they will be expected to leave the accommodation in line with the terms of their excluded licence agreement.

Location of interim accommodation for medical cases

Where possible the Home Office will procure a new contract with the hotel in which the household is currently residing for the appropriate number of rooms. If this is not possible, cost effective accommodation will be procured within reasonable distance to the current accommodation to enable treatment to continue.

Conditions of occupancy of interim accommodation for medical cases

Households accommodated in interim accommodation will be required to comply with the requirements of occupation of interim accommodation as set out in the excluded licence agreement.

It is a condition of continued occupancy that the household engage with both the Find Your Own (FYO) and Home Office matching processes. Households will be expected to try and find their own accommodation while accommodated in interim accommodation. The Home Office and councils will continue to seek settled accommodation for a family in line with the one offer matching process and recently published pre-matching accommodation guidance while the household is accommodation in interim accommodation.

If a household receives an offer of settled accommodation while in interim accommodation, it will count as their one and only accommodation offer. If the offer is refused, there will be no further offers of accommodation made to them by the Home Office and the excluded licence will be terminated in accordance with its terms.

Support while in interim accommodation

While in interim accommodation, medical case households will receive full board and wraparound support from LAs and Home Office Liaison officers (HOLOs). If no suitable hotel accommodation can be found in the required location, households may be accommodated in serviced apartments and would be responsible for their own food, laundry and other costs.

Local authorities will continue to be able to claim funding of up to £28 per beneficiary per day to deliver ongoing support while households remain in interim accommodation. The hotel wraparound and temporary accommodation support funding instructions will be updated to reflect this and outline how ongoing funding is expected to be used.

Ending the provision of interim accommodation for medical case households

The Home Office will provide interim accommodation to medical case households until:

• the treatment finishes - if a period of recovery is also required and moving from the current area would have an adverse impact on the person’s recovery the Home Office may continue to offer interim accommodation, however further medical evidence will need to be provided to support this
• the treatment ends or arrangements are made to transfer it elsewhere
• it transpires that the medical treatment being undertaken can be carried out in another location
• the household members being accommodated in the interim accommodation breach the terms of their excluded licence agreement
• the household receives an offer of settled accommodation which enables the continuation of the medical treatment without disruption and either accepts or rejects it - if the household accept the offer, they will remain accommodated in interim accommodation until either their excluded licence agreements ends or the Home Office arranges their move into the settled accommodation, whichever is soonest - if the household reject the accommodation offer, the excluded licence will be terminated in accordance with its terms
• the person undergoing treatment passes away
• the end of April 2024

Settled accommodation guidance

Support available once households are in settled accommodation council funding

The government has announced £285 million of new funding to enable councils to provide increased support for Afghan households to move from bridging accommodation into settled accommodation. This consists of:

• £35 million for councils, which will go towards increasing the level of support available and overcoming the barriers to private rented accommodation; and

• £250 million expansion of the Local Authority Housing Fund to help councils source homes to house Afghans currently in bridging accommodation.

It is up to councils to opt in to claim any of the existing or new funding for a household due to the voluntary nature of their participation in the scheme.

New funding made available to support households into settled accommodation can be used flexibly by councils in a number of ways detailed in funding instructions. If the council to which the household move are providing ongoing resettlement support, they may also provide help with housing costs such as deposits, landlord incentives and furniture costs. The Home Office can also help with transport to move individuals and their belongings when they move to the new property.

Integration support

Guests who move into settled accommodation through the matching or FYOA processes will be eligible for a package of integration support designed to help enable and empower all those leaving bridging to source and maintain their own settled accommodation. This will be provided by the receiving council, if they agree to support the household, and will be committed to for 3 years.

Households may move without the agreement of the receiving council but may not be able to access the integration support they need.

Entitlement to benefits and public services

As soon as individuals came to the UK through the ACRS or ARAP, they were granted the right to remain in the UK indefinitely, the right to work and the right to rent property. These rights are permanent and will not be taken away.

They will continue to be eligible to apply for benefits and access public services. These include:

• access to UK benefits

• access to free healthcare through the National Health Service for them and their household

• access to support services including, translation services, and accessing healthcare, education, and employment

• support for finding schools and nurseries and arranging any special care needs for children or vulnerable adults

Support accessing work and training

If individuals receive Universal Credit and are able to work, they are entitled to a work coach. They are there to help with job searches and can give individual support depending on someone’s needs. This can include:

• helping to identify transferable skills and how these may help in jobs or industries they may not have thought of before

• using their local expertise to help with job search and to find suitable opportunities

• helping create, improve, and adapt their CV

• supporting with job applications and providing advice to increase their chance of success

• helping prepare and practice for interviews

Work coaches are available in all bridging accommodation. Guests will continue to have access to work coach support after moving into new, settled accommodation.

Additional support

For those who came to the UK via ARAP, who have and want to maintain a Defence connection, support may be available through Op NEWHOPE. This is delivered through the Ministry of Defence’s partners: the Royal British Legion, Help for Heroes, The Forces Employment Charity, and Gulab Sorkh. This support could relate to physical and mental health; finding employment; and integrating into their local community.

If guests are eligible for Op NEWHOPE, the Ministry of Defence will email them to obtain consent to be referred onwards to charitable partners for support.

Responsibilities once in settled accommodation

Once guests have secured a property, as is standard for anyone renting a property in the UK, they will be responsible for all rental costs, gas and electricity, water bills, council tax and TV licence (please note, this is not an exhaustive list). The Home Office will no longer be liable for any of their costs. Some households may be eligible for housing support, Local Authority case workers and DWP can provide guidance on this and how to pay bills if required.

Annex A: Accommodation charter – bridging accommodation

Our customer charter

This charter sets out our commitments to you and explains the role of Home Office and what we expect from you. We will keep checking on our progress and looking for ways to improve the service we provide.

Home Office commitment to you

We will:

• put your needs at the heart of everything we do, always providing a professional service

• minimise disruption to you and your family by limiting accommodation moves

• provide a good level of accommodation that is clean, safe and secure. This includes regular cleaning and onsite security

• ensure hotels are compliant with regulations and are safe for guests

• ensure that you know how to report repairs and complaints

• review and action any complaints raised, dealing with them promptly and fairly

Your commitment to the Home Office

You will:

• only use the accommodation as ‘living accommodation’ and not allow anyone other than those named in the Hotel booking form to stay overnight, or occupy all or part of the accommodation without permission from the Hotel/Home Office

• keep the accommodation allocated to you in clean condition and to take reasonable care of all furniture, bed linen and other articles provided. This includes avoiding damage to property within the hotel

• follow hotel procedures to securely and hygienically dispose of / recycle all rubbish and remove and dispose of all unwanted items which are not normally collected by refuse collectors

• not commit (or threaten to commit) any form of violence or harassment which may interfere with the peace and comfort of any other person lawfully in the locality of the accommodation

• do not smoke or use other illegal substances in hotel accommodation (you will be liable for any damages including fines)

• exercise proper control over your children and provide for their care at all times

• notify the Hotel Manager of any damage caused by you or your children to the accommodation

• keep noise to a minimum and respect other hotel users

• not interfere with or remove the safety catches fitted to windows

• not use electrical or other cooking appliances within rooms that contravene fire policy

• not remove any furniture or any item belonging to the hotel or the premises in which the accommodation is located

• not obstruct the common areas of the hotel with prams, furniture, etc.

• move accommodation or vacate the hotel when asked to do so

• return all keys to the hotel staff and remove all personal possessions, furniture and rubbish when you are leaving. The Hotel accepts no responsibility for anything left in the accommodation

Unreasonable behaviour will not be tolerated, and subsequent action will be taken in accordance with hotel policy and UK law

For all Afghanistan resettlement enquires, you can contact the General Immigration Enquiry Line Telephone: 0300 790 6268 – select option 2

Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4:45pm, Friday, 9am to 4:30pm. The helpline is closed on bank holidays.

Call charges vary depending on your phone provider and whether you use a landline or mobile.

Further information on call charges is available on GOV.UK.

Annex B: Accommodation charter – interim accommodation

Our customer charter

• this charter sets out your commitments while occupying interim accommodation

Your commitment to the Home Office

You will:

• only use the accommodation as ‘living accommodation’ and not allow anyone other than those named in the accommodation booking form to stay overnight, or occupy all or part of the accommodation without permission from the Home Office

• keep the accommodation allocated to you in clean condition and to take reasonable care of all furniture, bed linen and other articles provided. This includes avoiding damage to property within the accommodation

• follow accommodation procedures to securely and hygienically dispose of / recycle all rubbish and remove and dispose of all unwanted items which are not normally collected by refuse collectors

• not commit (or threaten to commit) any form of violence or harassment which may interfere with the peace and comfort of any other person lawfully in the locality of the accommodation

• do not smoke or use other illegal substances in the accommodation (you will be liable for any damages including fines)

• exercise proper control over your children and provide for their care at all times

• notify the accommodation manager of any damage caused by you or your children

• keep noise to a minimum and respect other accommodation users

• not interfere with or remove the safety catches fitted to windows

• not use electrical or other cooking appliances within rooms that contravene fire policy

• not remove any furniture or any item belonging to the hotel or the premises in which the accommodation is located

• not obstruct the common areas of the accommodation with prams, furniture etc

• move accommodation or vacate the property when asked to do so

• return all keys to the accommodation staff and remove all personal possessions, furniture and rubbish when you are leaving. The accommodation accepts no responsibility for anything left in the property

Unreasonable behaviour will not be tolerated, and subsequent action will be taken in accordance with hotel policy and UK law

For all Afghanistan resettlement enquires, you can contact the General Immigration Enquiry Line.

Telephone: 0300 790 6268 – select option 2
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 4:45pm
Friday: 9am to 4:30pm

The helpline is closed on bank holidays.

Call charges vary depending on your phone provider and whether you use a landline or mobile.

Further information on call charges is available on GOV.UK.