Nearly 10,000 people who fled Afghanistan a year ago are living in 'unsuitable and unsafe' hotel rooms

A year after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, charities warn that those who fled must not be forgotten, after the Interior Minister Priti Patel has expressed 'great pride' over the much-criticized rescue operation in Kabul

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Nearly 10,000 people who fled Afghanistan a year ago are still living 'in limbo' in 'unsuitable and unsafe' hotel rooms, activists warn, and up to 23,000 are still trying desperate to reach UK after Taliban takeover.

The government is facing calls to ensure those who have fled the brutal regime do not risk another year 'trapped' in hotels and to provide safe routes so those in danger can escape. 'escape.

It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel expressed 'great pride' in the Government's much-criticised rescue operation, called Operation Pitting, which was launched after the Taliban took control a year ago tomorrow.

Andy Hewitt, head of advocacy at the Refugee Council, told the Mirror: "We are deeply concerned that this government is failing the people of Afghanistan, by not delivering the 'warm welcome' promised by the government. Britain is better than that.

“There is clear evidence that the British public want to support refugees, but their ability to fill the voids left by the government is limited. Whoever becomes our next Prime Minister must do the right thing for the people whose life was shattered by this violence and bloodshed."

He said there are around 9,500 Afghans living in "unsuitable and unsafe" hotels, saying: "The majority of them likely arrived as part of the evacuation in August 2021, and have therefore lived in hotels. a year after being forced to flee their homes in Afghanistan. In many cases, these people are separated from their families and are desperate to find them."

Thousands of people tried to flee Kabul a year ago after the city fell to the Taliban (

Picture:

AFP via Getty Images)

In addition to this, Mr Hewitt said there is currently a backlog of around 23,000 people who have applied to come to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme - describing them as "high risk".

"The government has recognized the need for families to be together when supporting people fleeing conflict in Ukraine - now they must show the same compassion and recognize that the Afghans who have suffered so much have already right to be...