Priti praises councils for Afghan support
Witham MP Priti Patel has praised Colchester City Council and Essex County Council for their work supporting the resettlement of dozens of Afghan families who had been evacuated from Afghanistan. During questions in the House of Commons to Defence Ministers, Priti referred to the assistance given to over 200 Afghan nationals hosted in a local bridging hotel. She also raised the importance of providing long term housing to families now in temporary accommodation and ongoing support for Afghans to secure employment and settle in the UK.
Priti said: “Afghans put their lives at risk to support our Armed Forces and efforts to fight terrorism and bring security and stability to Afghanistan. We evacuated thousands two years ago and have established safe routes for them to settle here. Both Colchester City Council and Essex County Council have worked hard to support Afghan families living here and the Government must do more to work with them to help those families to settle and find employment.”
Hansard entry for Priti’s question to Defence Ministers and answers (11 September 2023):