APPG on Women, Peace and Security: Joint meeting with the APPG on Afghanistan and Minister for Afghan Resettlement
On Wednesday 12th January 2022, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women, Peace and Security (APPG-WPS) co-hosted a joint meeting with APPG on Afghanistan with the Minister for Afghan Resettlement. The event was chaired by Flick Drummond MP and Baroness Fiona Hodgson, Co-chairs of the APPG-WPS, and Mark Logan MP, Chair of APPG on Afghanistan. This event allowed a forum for MPs to have an update from the Minister on the progress on Afghanistan resettlement after the announcement last week that the Afghan Citizens Resettlement scheme was up and running.
The Minister first spoke about how the scheme has been set up and that a new safe and legal migration route has taken time with the amount of policy considerations. The Minister also said that there has been a lot of hard work with local Councils to offer them properties both temporary and permanent including access to local services. Having announced the scheme and funding, help is also going to be given to people to enter the job market and to build their lives here in the UK.
Some pre-submitted questions followed on a variety of topics including correspondence, ACRS, ARAP and some specific cases. The Minister also promised to attend another meeting with both APPGs to answer more questions due to the high demand and urgent nature of many MPs enquires. APPG-WPS would like to send thanks to the APPG for Afghanistan, the Minister, and Calcomms for facilitating the session. The APPG-WPS looks forward to working with APPG on Afghanistan to arrange further events like this in the future.