What support is the Welsh Government providing to individuals who arrived in Wales through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme to access employment and educational opportunities?
Our multi-agency ‘Team Wales’ approach has been established to support Afghan families arriving in Wales under both the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. This approach is informed by experience of working on other forms of refugee resettlement in recent years and our social partnership model.
All Afghan arrivals have had educational and language learning support in place. We have ensured Working Wales and our Business Wales service are engaged with Afghan individuals to improve their employment opportunities. Working Wales is a part of our ‘Team Wales’ support offer. They have nominated and trained special contacts within the organisation who have a good understanding of the barriers resettled individuals face in finding and starting employment. Job Centre Plus also work with individuals on a one-to-one basis in order to help them achieve their goals and find employment.
Care is taken when matching families to permanent accommodation across Wales to ensure appropriate school places are available in the area where they will settle. Support will be given to families by local authorities and support workers to help people register their children in school and to access adult education.
Currently the biggest administrative barrier to employment opportunities is the lack of production of Biometric Residence Permits by the Home Office. These are required so that employers can be assured people are not breaching immigration law by employing a person who does not have the right to work in the UK. We continue to seek an urgent resolution to this issue from the Home Office as those living in Wales have already been waiting more than four months.