Senior government employee says we will always feel guilty about the death of a five-year-old Afghan refugee

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About 10,000 asylum seekers are housed in hotels due to the shortage of council housing. Matthew Rycroft, permanent secretary of the Home Office, warned in June, before the Afghan refugee crisis, that the number of people needing housing could reach 80,000 this year — a 33 percent increase.

Ms Haddad confirmed that the Ministry of Interior insisted on strict safety standards and risk assessments, but said that “our world stopped” last Wednesday when the child fell to his death.

She said: “The start of a new life for one family in the UK is now ruthlessly smashed with pieces left. We are all sad. We have all been in tears.”

“Some media coverage of the young boy’s death has done my team a lot of damage. It is completely misleading to suggest that the Home Office does not take our responsibilities to the children in our care seriously.”

We are all sad. We’ve all been in tears’

As the Interior Minister said, the situation in Afghanistan is a humanitarian crisis. Dr Emma Haddad writes that the UK is determined to do its part in providing assistance to those in need, and my team is working around the clock to provide safe haven for those fleeing Afghanistan.

We have supported vulnerable Afghans for months. My team has been working hard to bring Afghans and their families to the UK through the resettlement scheme – people who would be in great danger if they remained in Afghanistan.

Interior Ministry teams on the ground in Kabul. They are on the ground in UK airports and meet people on planes. They are on the floor in hotels, distributing clothes and toys.

It was a very complex and incredibly stressful process because of the speed with which we had to work. But it was worth it. We are very proud – we have already relocated over 3,300 Afghan employees and their families who have worked in the UK.

With thousands of vulnerable Afghans arriving in the UK, we had to work very quickly to find suitable housing for them. None of us want to use hotels. These families need and deserve permanent housing to be able to settle down properly and start their new lives.

But despite great efforts on the part of local authorities, housing offers have not been able to keep up with the numbers of people arriving in such a short period of time.

All hotels we use must adhere to rigorous health and safety checks and provide detailed risk assessments to ensure they are appropriate to accommodate those at risk. And in hotels used to accommodate unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, we have trained 24/7 on-site childcare support workers to ensure young people feel welcome and safe.

But then on Wednesday, August 18, our world stopped. A young boy fell out of a hotel window in Sheffield and died. His family was among those whose team relocated from Afghanistan recently.

The beginning of the new life of one family in the UK was cruelly smashed and remains in pieces. We are all sad. We have all been in tears.

Several members of the team have worked in the resettlement field for many years. Every day, they read case histories – stories of incomprehensible things that people went through, leading them to flee their country. Every time a plane lands and another family arrives in the UK, we are revitalized in the knowledge that we have been given a chance at literally a new life.

Many of us were also there when the Syrian resettlement scheme was launched in 2015. Last week brought back so many memories. The first chartered flight from Jordan via Lebanon. The families who helped her get on board with their belongings in a few plastic bags. The little girl on the plane is practicing her numbers in English. The palpable excitement of arriving in Glasgow. We are ready to do the same for the people of Afghanistan. We are ready to do something amazing.

Some media coverage of the child’s death has done my team a lot of damage. It is completely misleading to suggest that the Home Office does not take our responsibilities to the children in our care seriously.

And more than that – among the desire to score political points are dedicated civil servants who will feel guilt and responsibility for such a tragic death forever. Many of us are also parents. This could have been my eight year old son. We are not faceless bureaucrats without any empathy – feelings overwhelm us.

I can’t imagine the pain the little boy’s family is going through, and it will take all of us so long to process what happened. In the meantime, my team and I will continue to work day and night to provide sanctuary and adequate accommodation for those fleeing Afghanistan, who are in need and are dependent on our help.

Dr. Emma Haddad is the Director General of Asylum and Protection at the Ministry of the Interior

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