Camp housing 'hero' Afghan families at Shropshire military barracks closes after nearly two years
A camp at a military barracks near Shrewsbury that was housing hundreds of Afghan civilians who served the British Army has closed after almost two years.
Nesscliffe Barracks, between Shrewsbury and Oswestry, was adapted as a short-term home for Afghan families who escaped the Taliban back in 2023.
Their work including as interpreters was vital to the successful deployment of British forces – but this work also made them and their families targets for the Taliban.
As a result, more than 15,000 people have come to Britain so far as part of the Afghan Resettlement and Assistance Policy, also known as ARAP. Camps were set up in various locations across the country to help them begin progressing to UK citizenship.
Afghan civilians began arriving at Nesscliffe in October 2023, with the camp running for almost two years until it finally closed last month.
In all 242 families have passed through the camp in those 23 months, a total of 1,515 Afghan civilians, all of whom have now moved on to more permanent accommodation.
