Prince William tells refugees “you couldn’t be more welcome” in Britain

Prince William has thanked Afghan refugees, telling them “you couldn’t be more welcome” in Britain.

Prince William has thanked Afghan refugees and praised their bravery, telling them “you couldn’t be more welcome” in Britain.

Speaking with Afghans who risked their lives to work for the British Government, the Duke of Cambridge thanked them “for all you have done for us.”

Prince William was visiting a hotel in Leeds which is currently housing refugees that were evacuated when the Taliban took over Kabul.

He told families: “The most important thing is that you are safe now. You have a bright future.”

“You couldn’t be more welcome. Thank you for all you have done for us.”

People cheered and applauded as the Duke then spoke with two families who managed to escape Kabul in September.

Haroom Shahab, 33, and his wife, Zehra Akbarti, 28, told the Prince of how they had waited 28 hours to get on a plane at the airport.

Mr Shahab spoke of how thousands of desperate people ran towards the runways and planes were unable to land.

“They were running, they were desperate, in front of the oncoming aircraft. That was very hard for us,” he said.

“We were trying to get out of the country because our lives has been torn to shreds.”

“When we got to the UK we finally knew we would be safe. The Taliban are killing people without compassion – policemen and their families just gunned down. Anyone with a link to British or NATO forces or government.”

William asked him: “It must be very difficult trying to build your new life here while you are so worried about them.”

38-year-old Hussain Saeedi Samangan worked as a political secretary at the British Embassy in Kabul and told William that he had felt very welcome in Yorkshire.

He was with his wife, Masooma, 31, who was editor-in-chief of a newspaper in Kabul, and their sons Daniel, 10, and Arian, one.

William asked the family if they thought the ‘new’ Taliban would be a different regime.

Hussain said: “No. We know what the Taliban wants, we know they have not changed and that we couldn’t trust them.”

He said: “We are settling in well, we are making friends. Daniel said to me this morning he had made 11 friends at school.”

William said jokingly: “Eleven friends? You have more than I have, Daniel.”

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