A new service to house Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in 50 properties is being set up in Herefordshire.

The scheme approved by Herefordshire Council is intended to provide and furnish properties in the county for refugees admitted the UK under Government schemes particular to those two countries.

These will be Afghans who worked for Britain or otherwise assisted British efforts in the country before it withdraw in 2021, or who face persecution for political, ethnic or gender reasons, as well as Ukrainians resettling in the UK.

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Already 13 affordable properties “have been negotiated specifically for the resettlement of Afghan refugees”, the council said.

A further 37 properties, nine of which will be specifically for Afghans, “have been secured in partnership with local registered [housing] providers”, it added.

All 50 will need to be prepared for occupation including painting, carpeting or flooring, and furnishing where needed, with costs being borne by central Government funding for refugee settlement.

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The council said it “does not currently have the capacity to deliver this service directly”. Instead it is looking to issue a single contract with an external provider to manage the service, though will consider tenders from partnerships.

Having committed in 2020 to resettle at least 125 Afghan refugees by mid-2025, Herefordshire took in 84 under resettlement schemes in the year to April. This second phase of resettlement will run from this autumn through to next summer, the council said.

Meanwhile, there are still more than 400 Ukrainian refugees living with sponsoring households in Herefordshire, with a further 140 having moved out into other accommodation in the county including 18 households in temporary accommodation awaiting longer-term housing.

Herefordshire Council has received just over £6.7 million from the Government up to the end of March 2023 to support a total of 634 individuals from Ukraine.