A PLEA has gone out to find accommodation in Tavistock for a young Afghan couple who are fleeing persecution.

Simon Dell, of Tavistock Welcomes, is looking to find accommodation for the couple, both journalists, whose lives are at risk.

The woman is under threat of being killed by the Taliban because of her work promoting women and girls’ education.

After having to flee their home country, they have taken refuge in neighbouring Pakistan, but their visa to remain runs out soon.

Simon explained: ‘She has been receiving serious threats that must be taken seriously and we need to get her out of Pakistan very very urgently. We don’t know what will happen to her if she is found, so our mission is to find some accommodation in Tavistock.

‘We can do the rest of the work with regards to paperwork, but we urgently need accommodation for this young couple, youngsters in their 20s, who are being hunted down by the Taliban. We are looking for somewhere to rent, we are not asking for a gift but accommodation with their own front door key. We don’t need host families as with the Ukrainians who have settled in Tavistock. We are looking for a flat or a separate granny annexe, so they can live separately and have some privacy, where they can rebuild their lives in the security of Tavistock.

‘She is fighting for the right of women for girls to be educated in Afghanistan, as they have been in the years when the Tailban have not been in control. Her situation now is not just inconvenient, it is life-threatening and they will be killed if they return. If someone can offer accommodation, please email us. We must have somewhere to stay guaranteed in order to get them the visa.’

Simon is co-chair of the new community sponsorship group Tavistock Welcomes, set up by the Tavistock Quaker community as part of wider efforts to help persecuted Afghans who have fled to the UK since the Taliban regained control.

He added: ‘Tavistock and West Devon has an enviable reputation for reaching out to those fleeing war and persecution; Ugandans in the 1970s, refugees from both world wars, more recently Syrians, and currently we have many Ukrainians living here, welcomed by our communities. However, the plight of 10,000 Afghan families who were given sanctuary in the UK from the Taliban, are still living in hotels a year after their arrival. We expect the Home Office to allow this desperate couple to come to the UK and ‘Tavistock Welcomes’ urgently needs to find a one-bedroomed property for them to settle here in safety and peace.

‘We also seek a larger house for one of the Afghan families who have already been living in a hotel for over a year, often with young children. As well as offers of suitable accommodation, we would welcome more volunteers to join our group, particularly those with relevant experience, such as interpreters (Pashto and Dari) and ESOL [English for speakers of other languages] teachers.’ If you can help, email Tavistock Welcomes at [email protected]