Following the withdrawal of allied forces from Afghanistan over the summer after a 20 year campaign the UK government airlifted approximately 14,00 people in less than 2 weeks to bring them to safety. Over 8000 of them were Afghan nationals many of them had been involved in assisting UK forces on the ground. We, alongside other organisations nationally, are working to support the huge number of displaced people that have now found themselves in the UK, far from their homes and extended families. 

How we treat strangers in need is a test of the morality and kindness of us as a community. As a country, we have a long relationship with Afghanistan. Following the swift Taliban takeover, many Afghans who had worked for the British in some capacity, and those who had spoken up for democracy and the rights of women and girls, found themselves vulnerable. A proportion of these people were able to secure flights out of Afghanistan as the western forces withdrew.

Having arrived in the UK, many Afghans refugees have been placed in temporary accommodation by the Home Office, while their legal status is worked out and services put in place to support them.

We need your help to support the families in Kent and help them thrive as they begin their new lives!

At the moment, we are focusing on getting the familes some essentails, such as clothes, toiletries

We also plan to 

"I have had the privilege of working with Afghans who have recently fled their country. One of the things that is particularly striking about them is depth of connection to the UK that many of them already have; some of these clients have not just dipped their toes in the water of British culture but have been swimming in it for the last 20 years. The families have expressed their gratitude for the work of Migrant Help and the UK for the protection they are receiving.

What families have managed to bring with them varies but, inevitably, it is not very much. Actual contact with these families often provokes an instant desire to ‘help’ in some way, big or small. Clothes and toiletries were donated by the public and collected by the local mosque and numerous charities for us to distribute. One lady shared with me how had stripped her son’s room of toys that he had grown out of, so they could be put to better use. The outpouring of support has been phenomenal. 

The donation of items like this may not with the deep feelings of separation and loss that many refugees are feeling, but it shows them that they are welcome, and we are here to support them with all their physical and emotional needs." - Dan Easley, Migrant Help Resettlement Adviser