NEWPORT council is prepared to welcome people from Afghanistan who fled before the Taliban recaptured the country.

In many cases, the Afghans who applied to the ARAP resettlement scheme left their homeland because they had worked for the British military or government, and feared reprisals from the Taliban after the United States pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021.  

A recent UK Government decision to close down so-called "migrant hotels" nationwide means new accommodation has to be found for thousands of people.

Newport City Council documents show the city is likely to play its part.

"As part of the Home Office policy to close hotels used to support people from Afghanistan, the council has begun to receive enquiries from local authorities where hotels are located," according to a cabinet paper for an upcoming meeting.

South Wales Argus: People queue to board planes at Kabul Airport in January 2022.People queue to board planes at Kabul Airport in January 2022. (Image: LPhot Ben Shread/MoD)

The Labour-majority city council recently confirmed its stance on welcoming refugees and asylum-seekers, by supporting a motion declaring Newport a "city of sanctuary" for people fleeing persecution.

During a fiery debate, Labour councillors condemned UK Government attitudes to immigration. Deputy leader Cllr Deb Davies called Newport "a city founded on migration and this will continue", but Conservatives said the local authority should put locals first and "prioritise their needs".

The city council will now look to support the relocation of Afghans as hotels are closed around the UK.

"We are working with these councils [where hotels are located] to ensure that people moving on have equitable access to accommodation in the city," the council document read.

South Wales Argus: Afghan families arriving in the UK in 2021.Afghan families arriving in the UK in 2021. (Image: Cpl Dave Blackburn RAF/MoD)

"At this stage the number of people likely to move to Newport is difficult to quantify but we will keep this under close review."

Earlier this year, Home Office figures showed how many Afghans had been resettled in Gwent following their arrival in the UK.

They comprised eight people in Blaenau Gwent, 24 in Caerphilly county borough, 17 in Monmouthshire, 12 in Newport, and 13 in Torfaen.

Around 8,000 Afghans leaving so-called "migrant hotels" in the UK must do so by the end of August, according to the Local Government Association (LGA), which this week warned people were at risk of becoming homeless.

The LGA said those people had been provided with information about available support for them to find their own accommodation.

However, the LGA warned that the short timeframe, combined with nationwide housing shortages, was making it difficult for local councils to secure accommodation in time.