MoD announces up to 50 Afghan families to arrive in Garrison

MoD officials stated the Afghan people would be provided “transitional accommodation” in former service families accommodation in the North Yorkshire town after being judged suitable for relocation by the Home Office following security vetting.

They said the latest Afghan arrivals would stay at Britain’s largest Army base for anything from for a few weeks to a few months until local authorities from across the country matched the families with permanent accommodation and that the arrivals would be staggered over the next few months.

The move follows the Government facing a race to get thousands of Afghan evacuees out of Pakistan, where they had been told to wait until homes in Britain could be found for them before their visas expire and are deported back to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Jackson said following three tours in Afghanistan he was convinced of the moral duty to look after those who had helped British forces.

He said: “We’re doing our best by these people and also the best for the local communities we are asking to accommodate them. It’s quite a journey these people are on, the hardest part is just starting as they get used to living in this society.

“They are not refugees or asylum seekers, they are here with indefinite leave to remain after having contributed directly to our military operations in Afghanistan.”

The statement comes amid mounting concerns over factually incorrect claims being made on social media.

Alongside images relating to atrocities such as the Southport knife attack, one post stated: “This country is ****** 300 refugees due in Catterick next month and the council have absolutely no say in it how long will it be before kids start getting killed in Catterick.”

Other posts have claimed Afghan refugees were being put up in a nearby hotel or would be housed next to schools, putting children at risk, and the former Sandes soldier's home on Catterick Road was to be used as an administration centre for those arriving in the town.

Catterick Garrison councillor and former soldier Kevin Foster said he had been inundated with questions from residents following “many rumours circulating in our area about the number of refugees to be rehoused here”.

He said: “These rumours are not based on facts, and I have been in contact with the council and our MP’s office in order to find out exactly what the situation is so that I can put the record straight.

“What I do know at this point is that it will be refugees from Afghanistan that supported our soldiers that will be housed in the area, along with some who are already here.  There are no refugees or migrants being accommodated in hotels in the garrison.”

In June, a North Yorkshire Council meeting heard 35 Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy households had moved into MoD service family accommodation in the county.

Councillors were told by the end of May the authority had helped resettle 382 Afghan people across the county and while the original target for Richmondshire, which includes Catterick Garrison, had been 45, some 177 people had been resettled there.

A spokesman for Richmond MP Rishi Sunak declined to comment on the social media rumours, but added: “Mr Sunak is aware of Coun Foster’s concerns and remains in close contact with police and other relevant agencies about the situation.”

When asked if it had concerns over misinformation being spread online and tensions escalating in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire Police declined to comment.

However, it is understood senior police figures have stated there is no evidence of increase community tensions in the garrison or activity by groups aligning themselves with far right organisations, while others say rumours about Afghan people being put up in the a nearby hotel had been circulating for months.