Only 2 Afghans in Pakistan limbo resettled in UK

LONDON (Arabnews): Only two Afghans offered sanctuary by the UK have been brought to Britain in the past three months from Pakistan, out of 1,049 eligible people, The Independent reported on Monday.

Pakistan is housing hundreds of former interpreters, diplomatic staff and other Afghans who served with Western forces, but who fled their homeland in the wake of the Taliban takeover.

All of the 1,049 eligible Afghans have been granted permission to travel to the UK through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, but are unable to leave Pakistan following Britain’s winding down of charter flights last year.

Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative government minister, said: “We had years to bring the interpreters over and we left everything until the last minute. We then encouraged people to cross into Pakistan, and we’ve now stopped running evacuation flights from there. We’ve just abandoned them.”

As part of ARAP, the Afghans must provide proof of pre-booked UK accommodation before their arrival as well as evidence of ample living funds.

Their hotel costs in Pakistan are being paid for by the UK government, at a cost of about $21 million between April last year and March 2023.

But between March 1 and May 24 this year, just two Afghans in Pakistan were relocated to the UK, with only eight being relocated to Britain worldwide.

About 300 of the Afghans in Pakistan are also eligible for UK resettlement under Britain’s second sanctuary program, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, which targets former diplomatic staff and guards.

The delay in relocating vulnerable Afghans was described as “shameful” by the shadow defense secretary, John Healey, who said Britain has a “moral duty” to assist former interpreters and embassy staff.

He added: “Bringing only two ARAP-eligible individuals to the UK in three months is simply shameful. It leaves hundreds of Afghans fleeing the Taliban stuck in Pakistan hotels without hope or proper support. Ministers must fix the failing ARAP scheme.”

A British government spokesperson said: “The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help at-risk people in Afghanistan and, so far, we have brought around 24,600 vulnerable people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan resettlement schemes.”