The UK government has been accused of failing those Afghan refugees who arrived in Southwark, and elsewhere in the UK, following the Taliban victory. But a look over the channel and into the EU shows this isn’t just a British problem.
It has recently emerged that only 271 Afghans were resettled in the EU in 2022, just 0.1 per cent of the 270,000 identified as needing protection. Given that roughly 16,000 have found now permanent residence in the UK alone, our government’s record seems sparkling in comparison.
Our story about Afghan refugees left stranded in ‘bridging hotels’ and feeling ‘betrayed’ by the UK government received a mixed reaction. Some readers had sympathy but others questioned whether we can accommodate refugees given the UK’s ongoing housing crisis.
Others have argued we should focus on treating our native veterans better before looking after Afghan soldiers – even if they did fight for British interests.
In this instance, Southwark is Europe in a microcosm. These exact same conversations are being had in Italy, Germany and now in the European Parliament. The EU’s flagship migration package, which seeks to speed up the deportation of migrants, demonstrates growing anxiety over immigration.
The Ukraine war has demonstrated that people are willing to give up their homes for those fleeing war – especially when there is the political will. But will Europe, the UK and London be as generous to those fleeing wars outside of Europe? The early signs suggest not.
