Row breaks out online over the relocation of Afghan refugees

By Tara O’Connor, local democracy reporter

A row broke out online over the relocation of Afghan refugees from Croydon to Watford.

Conservative MP for Reigate, Crispin Blunt, took to Twitter to share a statement in which he calls Croydon Council a “financially delinquent” authority.

In it he claims that 45 Afghan refugees are set to be moved from a Croydon hotel out to Watford adding the situation “reflects badly” on the Home Office.

The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme is run by the government and provides short term accomodation for refugees while permanant homes are found.

Croydon Council leader, Hamida Ali, has hit back at the letter saying that the decision to move the refugees was made by the Home Office.

She added that the authority is yet to receive government money for providing support for refugees temporarily housed in a Croydon hotel.

In the letter, Mr Blunt said that as a former soldier he made an application for the family of a former colleague to be resettled in England.

He writes that 45 people in a temporary or ‘bridging’ accommodation in a Croydon hotel have been told by the Home Office they must move to Watford last Wednesday, October 27.

He added: “Now they have lost everything, their resettlement is being made slower and more challenging by Croydon Council, a financially delinquent local authority using them in pawns in a squabble over what resources they get from central government.

“The Home Office has decided to take the easy route of not standing behind the national commitment to destitute ARAP refugees, but pushing them around the country instead of facing down the council and its threat to remove services from them.”

But Croydon councillor Sean Fitzsimons hit back at the “disgraceful comments”.

He Tweeted: “Croydon has supported hundreds of asylum seekers every year over the the last two decades, with council tax payers paying the costs, despite promises of support from the Home Office.

“Crispin Blunt is a member of Tory government that promised to support local councils to aid asylum seekers from Afghanistan but the Home Office under Tory cabinet member Priti Patel has failed again to cover the additional costs.”

Croydon Council has historically taken in more refugees that other local councils due to the Home Office’s Lunar House being based in the borough.

Leader of the council, Hamida Ali, pointed out that the borough currently cares for more than 1,000 refugees from Afghanistan and other countries.

She said: “The ARAP bridging hotel was commissioned and managed by the Home Office, and entirely independently from the council, to provide short-term accommodation while the government identified permanent homes.

 “Since the hotel opened, the council and our amazing Croydon voluntary organisations have worked to support those placed there by coordinating health visits, safeguarding support, links with local children’s centres and providing ESOL classes through our Croydon Adult Learning and Training (CALAT) team.

“Despite promises to the contrary, no government funding has been provided for this work. 

“Having visited the [hotel] and spoken with people staying there, I know there is a real desire for the certainty of a permanent home as quickly as possible.

“While the decision to close the Croydon bridging hotel was made by the Home Office, my hope is that this will be a step towards securing more permanent homes in the new area.

“I understand Mr Blunt is concerned about the impact of this move, but he should really be talking to the Home Office who are responsible for this site rather than trying to make political points by attacking the council.”