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Afghan citizens in Surrey

Contents

Support and guidance

Welcome to Surrey

This guide for Afghan citizens living in Surrey includes how to access essential public services and healthcare, plus how to find work, get access to childcare and education services.

Surrey is made up of 11 districts and boroughs, some services that you will need can be provided by these district and borough councils, others are provided by us, Surrey County Council.

To find out which district or borough you are in, open the link and type the town or village where you are living into this map Surrey interactive map (arcgis.com)

You can also find out more about council and health services in the area where you are living and a wider range of services on Connect to Support Surrey.

Help and advice phone number for non-British nationals

If you are a non-British national in Afghanistan, or are the family member of a non-British national in Afghanistan, and you are in need of assistance, call +44 300 790 6268 (or 0300 790 6268 in the UK). This helpline is dedicated to providing support for the UK's evacuation efforts.

Please note, the helpline does not offer advice on eligibility or registration processes for the Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme.

Please continue checking back on the Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (GOV.UK) page for updated details of the scheme.

Who to call in an emergency

In an emergency, call 999 and ask for one of these four services:

To contact police in a situation that isn't an emergency, you can submit a crime report online via the Surrey Police website, or you can click on the live chat button in the bottom right of the Surrey Police website. You can also call on 101.

Go to food banks for emergency food supplies (Trussell Trust) - see more about food banks.

Health and welfare support

Health and wellbeing information in other languages

For health and wellbeing information in Dari Pashto, Farsi, and Urdu languages, visit our health and wellbeing resource centre.

Registering with a doctor (GP) to get healthcare

A General Practitioner, commonly known as a GP, is the first doctor you will usually visit for routine health problems in the UK. A GP can offer medical advice, provide a diagnosis, and prescribe medicines. They might be your first point of contact for many physical and mental health concerns. The GP practice or doctors' surgery is also responsible for coordinating and managing your long-term healthcare and they can refer you if you need more specialised hospital services.

Everyone has a right to register with a GP and you do not need proof of address, immigration status, ID or an NHS number (you may be asked to provide ID but it is not a requirement). We strongly recommend that you register with a GP as soon as possible after you arrive. You can also register temporarily if you expect to be in an area for more than 24 hours but less than 3 months. If you have ID this can help make sure your name is spelled correctly in your NHS records.

Find your nearest GP service (NHS)

Adult social care - getting support for a vulnerable adult

Adult social care helps people who are frail, have disabilities or mental health issues and the people who care for them.
Find out about our adult social care services in Surrey and who can access them via our adult social care and support web pages.
If you need further information or advice, you can call 0300 200 1005, email asc.infoandadvice@surreycc.gov.uk or use SMS (for the deaf or hard of hearing) on 07527 182 861.

Reporting concerns for an adult

If you are concerned that an adult may be at risk of harm, abuse or neglect, please report it.

More information about health and welfare in Surrey.

Housing

Borough and district council's offer housing, so you would need to contact them directly. Please see their webpages about housing and homelessness in the list below:

Getting children into a school for education

If you are a parent or carer who would like to apply for a school place for your child, you can do this by visiting Apply for an in-year school place.

Free home to school travel

Some children are eligible for home to school travel assistance. For criteria and how to apply please see apply for under-16 travel assistance to school.

Free school meals

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically get free school meals. Children in Year 3 or above may be eligible for free school meals. This includes if their parent is receiving Universal Credit. For more information and to apply for free school meals, you should contact your child's school.

Family support and childcare

Our Family Information Service website includes the following information to support families and much more:

  • Childcare and early education
    • Information and eligibility criteria for funded early education and childcare for children aged 2 to 4 years.
    • Information on Tax Free Childcare for working parents of children aged up to 12 years.
    • A childcare finder where families can enter their post code to search for local childcare provision.
    • Information about Family Centres who may be able to signpost families to local childcare provision and advise on how to make an application for funded early education.
  • Family finance
  • Support and advice for families

Learning to speak English

Our Surrey Adult Learning courses

Our Adult Learning service run English courses for speakers of other languages at our learning centres in Surrey.

English language courses in Surrey (not run by us)

The organisations listed below also offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and conversational English classes:

Further Education Colleges

Other course providers

How to get work

Find out about the Refugee Employability Programme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and also see our Support to get work page. You could also use the Government's Find a job online (GOV.UK) service.

Financial and cost of living support

Visit our Financial support pages to find out if you are eligible for any of the different types of financial support available and to also find advice on coping with the cost of living challenges.

Food Banks

Food Banks offer emergency food supplies to people in crisis. To find out how to get help from a Food Bank and to find your nearest Food Bank, please see Find a food bank on Trussell Trust website.

Surrey's response

Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP)

Surrey's borough, district and county councils are actively collaborating with health partners, voluntary and community groups, and the faith sector in response to the UK Government's ARAP. This policy supports Afghan citizens who have worked in significant roles with the UK Government in Afghanistan, including interpreters and other personnel.

The ARAP, that was effective from 1 April 2021, offers relocation to the UK for eligible Afghan citizens and their families, including partners, dependent children, and other family members. Applications can be made from any country and are processed by the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office.

This collaborative effort ensures comprehensive support across housing, health, social care, education, and community integration for Afghan arrivals.

For more information and how to apply, visit the ARAP page on the UK Government website.

Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) for Afghan Nationals

The ACRS is a separate initiative from the ARAP. Its aim was to resettle over 5,000 Afghan nationals in the first year and up to 20,000 in the coming years.

The scheme prioritizes members of Afghan civil society, including women, girls, and at-risk minority groups, who supported the UK and international community's efforts in Afghanistan.

The ACRS is managed through a referral process without a direct application procedure.

For detailed information, refer to the ACRS guidance page on the UK Government website.

Operation Warm Welcome

'Operation Warm Welcome' is a comprehensive cross-government effort, collaborating with local authorities, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the commercial sector to assist Afghans evacuated from Afghanistan in settling and integrating into UK communities.

More than 4,000 Afghans have been provided homes, with over 300 local authorities pledging to resettle families. The effort includes securing permanent homes and providing wraparound support.

As part of the support, Afghan arrivals receive assistance in registering with a GP, COVID-19 vaccinations, school enrolment for children, and access to relevant benefits.

For the latest updates and more details, visit the Operation Warm Welcome progress update (GOV.UK) page on the UK Government website.

Update on what has happened so far in Surrey

Many district and borough councils have already opened their doors and welcomed Afghan individuals and families into their communities. To find out what is being done in your area contact your borough or district council, their details can be found on our borough and district councils page.

Housing for Afghan citizens

The district and borough councils look at possible options to house Afghan citizens in their areas. For more details on the responsibilities of borough and district council, as opposed to our responsibilities as the county council, please see the individual borough and district websites information on responsibilities borough and district councils.

Funding for the resettlement of Afghan citizens

The Government has confirmed that, as well as the national government's grant funding (GOV.UK), there has been:

  • £5 million funding for councils in England, Wales and Scotland to support Afghans coming to the UK via the ARAP scheme, and a top up to help meet the costs of renting properties.
  • £3 million of additional NHS funding under the ARAP scheme for access to healthcare and GP registrations. All are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • £12 million to prioritise additional school places, to provide school transport, specialist teachers and English language. Further funding for up to 300 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for Afghans at UK universities. Adults will also be able to access English language courses free of charge.
  • £200 million for first year of the ACRS.

COVID safety measures

Afghan families will be coming to the UK from second or third route countries through the ARAP and ACRS scheme.
The Government will be providing additional healthcare provision in line with their individual needs, including COVID-19 vaccines and support for mental wellbeing.

Visit the national government page with further information on who will be arriving through the ARAP scheme.

Afghan culture and religious beliefs

Afghan people are mostly Sunni Muslim. Languages spoken are Pashto and Dari. Dari is the official name of the variety of Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. It is often referred to as the Afghan Persian, although still widely known as Farsi. Many of the evacuees in the ARAP scheme had been working as interpreters, so they will have good English language skills.

Ethnic Groups in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic society and so the population of the country consists of numerous ethnolinguistic groups. Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimaq, Turkmen , Baloch, Pashai, Nuristani, Gujjar, Arab, Brahui , Qizilbash, Pamiri, Kyrgyz, Sadat and others.

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