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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced plans to assist local councils and housing associations to rehouse Afghan refugees in council houses. The initiative will be made possible by the right to buy back scheme that was introduced as part of the 1980 Housing Act. Khan has said he will invite councils to buy back council houses that have been sold off to the private sector. According to MOD, the UK has evacuated almost 7,000 Afghans and their families out of Kabul, many of which have already arrived in the UK, with more than 1,000 in Manchester.
The UK government has announced plans to rehouse 5,000 Afghan nationals within the first year, Khan’s scheme should hopefully help provide homes for families that have had no choice but to flee Afghanistan. Councils will also be provided with grants to rent or buy homes for Afghan refugees.
Richmond, Camden, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kingston, Lambeth, Islington and Lewisham are just some of the boroughs that have offered to help. With the Taliban overthrowing Afghanistan’s government, the country has become unsafe for many residents, particularly those that helped Western efforts during the war in Afghanistan. The effort to rehouse Afghan citizens will continue over the next few years as part of a larger effort.