The Lived Experience of Afghans Resettled in the UK

How would you feel if you lost everything: your home, job, status, your dreams, your family members and friends? How would it feel if your family's lives were in extreme danger and your only chance of survival was to flee to another country far away and begin from scratch? Can you even begin to imagine how you would start to rebuild your life?

Getting the initial period of a refugee's time in their new country right is vital. It sets the trajectory for their longer-term wellbeing, self-sufficiency and integration. While trying to cope with past traumas, they need to navigate complex bureaucracy, seeking settled housing, settle children in to a totally new school system, learn a totally different language and find employment.

It is in everyone's interest to get this right. 

In 2025/2026, I designed and conducted detailed research in to the lived experience of Afghan ‘Entitled Persons’ during their initial period in the UK.  Areas explored included mental health, community support, language learning, job and house-seeking. Findings have been shared with stakeholders, including the UK Ministry of Defence and Home Office as well as with academics working in the field of forced migration.

Community Response to supporting Afghans resettled in the UK.

Further to the research above, I have conducted interviews with a diverse range of community stakeholders involved in  the initial resettling of Afghan ‘Entitled Persons’ across the UK. This multi-stakeholder approach has involved me engaging with police services, local councillors, community volunteers, military personnel and local authorities to gain perspectives on institutional and community challenges and opportunities. My work offers grounded insights into how different stakeholders may best coordinate, support and engage during early stages of refugee resettlement in the UK. This work has also been shared with government agencies as well as academic researchers.