‘Why have we been forgotten?’ Afghan refugees in hotel hit out at ‘rat-infested’ dining areas

Eight months after arriving in the UK, Afghan refugees are frustrated with poor food and lack of communication from the Home Office, writes Charlene Rodrigues

The Courtyard by Marriott in South Oxford has been home to roughly 100 Afghan refugees since September last year (Charlene Rodrigues )

Wedged between roaring A34 traffic on one side and luxury car showrooms on the other is the Courtyard by Marriott Oxford South in Didcot – home to roughly 100 Afghan refugees since September last year.

Nearly half are children, forced to seek sanctuary in the UK after the Taliban seized Kabul in August last year amid fears of being tortured or killed.

Except that – eight months on – after fleeing the horrors of Taliban rule, they say Britain hardly feels like a sanctuary. They say the UK feels increasingly “like a prison”, and they are apprehensive about what the future holds.