A West London Welcome

Greeting refugees from Afghanistan

West London has been at the forefront of greeting refugees from Afghanistan. After the fall of Kabul those who managed to get on a plane and out to the UK were first of all billeted in hotels around Heathrow for quarantine. The Home Office then settled them in hotels around west London where a lot of the rooms which remained empty during the pandemic have been taken up to house refugees temporarily. The newspapers were full of stories about the rather lukewarm reception, lacking the most basic provisions of things like toothpaste and nappies, but once they were out of quarantine charities such as West London Welcome and the Afghan and Central Asian Association, (ACAA) based in Feltham, were determined to step up and fill the gaps. Both launched fundraising campaigns and mobilised to collect bags of clothing, shoes and toiletries. Dr Nasimi, founder of the ACAA, said: ‘The situation in Afghanistan is shocking. But people shouldn’t feel paralysed by the scale of the situation. We need your help now to help the Afghan people. There are lots of ways you can help – donating money, time or other resources like clothes. You can make a big difference to helping Afghans settle and integrate in this wonderful country.’ They are always after volunteers, especially those with experience in administration, fund raising, immigration issues and advocacy. The community of west London has responded and they’ve received van loads of stuff, but the dilemma for charities is always whether it is the right stuff and what to do with the bags and boxes of donations which aren’t suitable. People’s needs change. West London Welcome supports refugees, from anywhere, with food, clothing, friendship and advice. Having received their first coach loads of refugees on Saturday 11 September and assessed the initial need they were looking for ‘shoes, especially trainers and pumps of all sizes, clothes for girls and boys aged 9+ and bras and knickers for teenage girls (new)’.

The fact that they have to say (new) after listing underwear gives you an idea of some of the more unsuitable clothing they sometimes receive. “It’s a privilege to be welcoming newly-arriving Afghan refugees into our community in West London this afternoon. We’re greeting them with lots of treats, information in Farsi/Dari/ Pashto, and smiles” said Director of West London Welcome Joanne MacInnes. ‘Shout out to our volunteers today who gave a warm, heartfelt welcome & spent eight hours assisting people, carrying luggage, passing out treats, translating for our advice team & even taking kids to parks. Huge respect for our Afghans friends for their bravery, strength & resilience’. As the refugees arrived they were short of Pashto speakers and looking for volunteers to help with translation. As you read this now, they may be looking urgently for something else.

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If you would like to help, you can contact: Afghan and Central Asian Association through their website: acaa.org.uk West London Welcome through their website: westlondonwelcome.com

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