South Wales Central MS Andrew RT Davies has reported the Ministry of Defence to the Information Commissioner, after it failed to answer several questions regarding Afghan resettlement at the Holiday Inn Express, Rhoose.
Several residents contacted Mr Davies to express concerns about the plans, which the Conservative representative raised with MOD officials.
Some of the queries were raised orally in a briefing on 7th August. These were then followed up in writing on 11th August.
The queries related to the specific resettlement schemes for which Afghans housed at the hotel are eligible, as well as crime statistics for those resettled under the various programmes.
A Sky News investigation into the Afghan Resettlement Programme recently alleged Afghans were rehoused in Britain after exaggerating claims to have assisted British forces.
Other allegations included multiple cases of applicants sending British figures allegedly fake Taliban threat letters, staged “torture” videos and false claims of Taliban attacks.
Others are alleged to have returned to Afghanistan for holidays, and pushed to bring in extended families. In some cases, these included second wives.
Mr Davies has chased a response several times in the intervening period but has still not received answers.
He said he therefore had “no option” but to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner.
Mr Davies said:
“The Holiday Inn Express in Rhoose is currently providing housing under the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
“Serious allegations have emerged regarding the scheme in recent weeks, and residents rightly deserve answers.
“Back in August, I raised several questions about the Afghan Resettlement Programme with the Ministry of Defence, both relating to eligibility criteria and crime statistics.
“Almost two months on, I have still not received a response.
“I’ve therefore raised a complaint with the Information Commissioner. This is a matter of serious public interest and the MOD’s failure to answer questions only raises further concerns.”
ENDS
NOTE: Link to the Sky News investigation can be found here
NOTE: Please find below a copy of the Freedom of Information request submitted by Andrew RT Davies to the Ministry of Defence
11th August 2025
Dear Deputy Head Resettlement
Re: Holiday Inn Express hotel, Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan
Thank you for arranging a briefing for me last week regarding the above. I am grateful to your officials for confirming that, contrary to the impression given by the local authority, the hotel was initially offered up for use for Afghan resettlement by the Vale of Glamorgan Council. I am also grateful to your officials for confirming that the Council, in line with Senedd ministers’ Nation of Sanctuary programme, were one of the first local authorities in Britain to offer support for hotels. Thank you for also confirming that the Vale of Glamorgan will be meeting the need of the entire regional allocation for Wales under the scheme.
However, several other questions were raised in the briefing that your officials were unable to answer. These relate primarily to residents’ queries regarding the specific schemes under which those housed at the hotel have been resettled. In the briefing, it was confirmed that the hotel is being used to house people under the Afghan Resettlement Programme. It was also confirmed that this scheme was formed following the merger of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and Afghan Response Route (ARR). Of these schemes, ARAP was designed for those Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Government in Afghanistan in exposed or meaningful roles. Eligibility criteria for ACRS, by contrast, was much wider, and included ethnic and religious minorities and those identifying as LGBT+. ARR was designed specifically for those who were affected by the 2022 data leak and were ineligible for ARAP, ACRS or resettlement under any other scheme. When I asked if those housed at the hotel were eligible for ARAP, officials were unable to answer.
Residents are therefore concerned that the Council’s statement suggesting those housed at the hotel assisted British forces in Afghanistan may be misleading or wrong. I would therefore be grateful if you would clarify the following points:
- Did any of the hotel’s current occupants apply for ARAP at any time and how many of those respective applications were accepted and rejected?
- Of those planned to be housed at the hotel in future, how many have applied for ARAP at any point in the past and how many of those applications were accepted and rejected?
- For each of the hotel’s current occupants, please confirm which former resettlement schemes they applied for (ARAP, ACRS, ARR or other) and which scheme(s) they had been accepted onto prior to the creation of ARP.
- For each of the hotel’s planned future occupants, please confirm which former schemes they applied for (ARAP, ACRS, ARR or other) and which scheme(s) they had been accepted onto prior to the creation of ARP.
- How many of the hotel’s current occupants were either resettled under or eligible for ARR?
- How many of the hotel’s planned future occupants are being resettled under or eligible for ARR?
- Please provide an exhaustive list of the qualification criteria for ARAP.
- Please provide a list of all auxiliary roles which have been found alone to constitute eligibility for ARAP.
- Please provide an exhaustive list of the qualification criteria for ACRS.
- In an interview with Sky News of 16th July 2025, the Secretary of State for Defence confirmed that most of the names on the leaked data list were people who “didn’t work alongside our forces, didn’t serve with our forces, aren’t eligible for the special scheme (ARAP) that Britian put in place quite rightly to recognise that duty we owe those brave Afghans who supported our forces.” How many of these people have been resettled in the United Kingdom and are any either housed or planned to be housed at the hotel?
- Since the scheme was launched, how many ARAP applications have been accepted and how many have been rejected?
- How many successful ARR applicants have previously made unsuccessful ARAP applications?
- How many successful ARR applicants have previously made unsuccessful ACRS applications?
Concerns have also been raised by residents regarding potential impacts on crime and public safety. I would therefore be grateful if you would confirm the following:
- How many individuals resettled in the United Kingdom under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy have either been charged or convicted of sex crimes?
- How many individuals resettled in the United Kingdom under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy have either been charged or convicted of any other crimes?
- How many individuals resettled in the United Kingdom under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme have either been charged or convicted of sex crimes?
- How many individuals resettled in the United Kingdom under Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme have either been charged or convicted of any other crimes?
- How many individuals resettled in the United Kingdom under Afghan Response Route have either been charged or convicted of sex crimes?
- How many individuals resettled in the United Kingdom under Afghan Response Route have either been charged or convicted of any other crimes?
- How many individuals resettled in the United Kingdom under Afghan Resettlement Programme have either been charged or convicted of sex crimes?
- How many individuals resettled in the United Kingdom under Afghan Resettlement Programme have either been charged or convicted of any other crimes?
- Have any individuals housed in the Vale of Glamorgan under any Afghan resettlement scheme been either charged or convicted of any sex crimes? If so please provide further details.
- Have any individuals housed in the Vale of Glamorgan under any Afghan resettlement scheme been either charged or convicted of other crimes? If so please provide further details.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this correspondence. If necessary, please treat it as a request under the Freedom of Information Act. Given the serious public interest in this matter, and the lack of transparency with the community to date, I would be grateful for a timely response. If further queries are raised with me by constituents, I will raise these with you at the earliest opportunity.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Andrew RT Davies MS
South Wales Central Regional MS