Bridging accommodation
Bridging accommodation was established at pace in July 2021 as part of Operation Warm Welcome across the UK to provide safe and secure accommodation for people who were evacuated from Afghanistan under Operation Pitting, and who were eligible for resettlement in the UK as part of the Afghan Citizen’s Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) or the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). These accommodation solutions were always intended as a short-term solution to bridge the gap between arriving in the UK and moving into settled accommodation.
In December 2022 the UK Government announced its approach to support guests who are temporarily accommodated in bridging under the Afghanistan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) or Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) through the closure of bridging accommodation.
Bridging accommodation in Devon
Devon County Council and partners have provided wraparound support to people evacuated from Afghanistan since September 2021. The UK Government has provided the funding for this support.
As of May 2023, our profile of people in local bridging accommodation is:
| District | No. of adults | No. of children (18 and under) |
|---|---|---|
| Exeter City Council | 26 | 10 |
| East Devon District Council | 35 | 34 |
Contact email address: corpor.afghanbridging-mailbox@devon.gov.uk