Afghan refugees still stuck in Doncaster's Danum Hotel one year on from evacuation

And they are among nearly 10,000 people nationwide who have still not been found permanent homes in the UK by the Government after thousands were evacuated after the Taliban regained control of the war-torn country last autumn.

The landmark hotel in Doncaster city centre was picked to house Afghanistan refugees – mostly young women and children - last November.

The High Street hotel has been closed since then and while it is understood that some refugees have settled into new homes in Doncaster, many are still looking for permanent accommodation 12 months on from fleeing the terror in their home country.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK will welcome up to 20,000 people in need through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. Already we are proud this country has provided homes for nearly 7,400 Afghan evacuees, but there is a shortage of local housing accommodation for all.

“While hotels do not provide a long-term solution, they do offer safe, secure and clean accommodation. We will continue to bring down the number of people in bridging hotels, moving people into more sustainable accommodation as quickly as possible.

“We do not routinely comment on operational hotel arrangements.”

It is understtood that a number of families in recent months have taken steps to secure their own accommodation.

The Home Office is working more than 350 local authorities across Britain to find permanent homes for refugees, with more than 2,000 homes needed so people can leave hotels.

The Home Office has been reaching out to landlords, property developers and the wider private rented sector, including property website RightMove, to encourage further offers of homes as well as working directly with education bodies to turn student accommodation into long-term housing for Afghan families.

The spokesman added: “We will do everything we can to help Afghan individuals and families find suitable accommodation.”

The Danum was taken over by the Home Office last November.

The hotel, now officially called the Mercure Doncaster Centre Danum Hotel, said that its rooms had been booked on an ‘exclusive use contract’ but did not confirm who was behind the booking.

The Home Office took over a number of hotels across the country to house refugees and also to quarantine travellers under coronavirus restrictions

A number of weddings and family functions had to be cancelled as a result of the takeover.

Last November, bosses announced that guests would not be able to book into the 200-year-old hotel for “some time.”

A spokesman for the hotel, owned by the Accor Group, said: “The hotel has recently been booked on an exclusive-use contract and will not be taking general bookings for a period of time.

"We are working individually with any guests affected by these short-term changes.”

When the UK launched its resettlement scheme for Afghans last year, it offered safety but not stability and more than £1m a day is being spent on rooms.

Unlike Ukrainian refugees, they have no official sponsors to help integrate them into communities. And also unlike Ukrainians, they can't bring over other family members.