Thousands of Afghan interpreters and other allies of the United Kingdom who were promised sanctuary have been effectively abandoned to the Taliban following a dramatic government policy reversal. Rescue missions that were extracting those who served Britain, along with their families, have been shut down.
Shock Announcement in Parliament
The announcement in the House of Commons came as a shock to several thousand individuals who have been in hiding for over a year, waiting for their turn to be rescued from vengeful Taliban warlords. These men, many of whom served on the front line with UK forces and saved numerous British lives, received official messages essentially telling them to fend for themselves. The messages indicated they could still come to Britain, but only if they managed to 'self-move' out of Afghanistan.
Fear and Despair Among Those in Hiding
The news sent a wave of terror through those in hiding. Abdul, a 41-year-old former frontline interpreter who has waited nearly a year after being promised help, told the Daily Mail: 'It is a gift for the Taliban and I fear some will pay with their lives.' The father-of-three added: 'My wife is in tears, we feel we are being abandoned and denied the help given so many of my colleagues.'
Erin Alcock, a lawyer assisting Afghans, said: 'They have patiently waited in fear to be helped, only to now be told help is not coming.'
Taliban Revenge Campaign
Taliban revenge squads have been actively hunting down Afghans who worked for British forces, meting out punishment beatings and murdering some. Thousands of Afghans who fought beside British soldiers or acted as frontline interpreters remain in hiding as the Taliban seeks retribution. The brother of a former interpreter was beaten by the Taliban, who demanded to know his brother's whereabouts and whether he had worked for the UK.
Betrayal of the Brave
For years, successive governments pledged never to forget those loyal to Britain. Today's announcement has been described as another 'betrayal of the brave'. The Daily Mail's award-winning campaign 'Betrayal of the Brave' has highlighted their plight for a decade, supported by countless British soldiers and officers who worked alongside Afghan comrades during the UK's two decades in Afghanistan. Military translators were the 'eyes and ears' of British troops, often saving lives and sometimes sustaining injuries in the line of duty.
After Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, those loyal to Britain have been hunted down, with many murdered or tortured by the brutal regime.
Resettlement Schemes Closed
Britain has offered three resettlement schemes to Afghans to make new lives in safety in the UK, including the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). These have all been closed to new applicants, but only last year ministers promised to honour offers already made. British-backed teams have been working amid great danger in Afghanistan to help them reach a third country, such as Pakistan, where they can be flown to the UK.
However, Defence Minister Luke Pollard told the Commons in a written statement: 'We have decided to end in-country assistance for movements out of Afghanistan. Eligible Afghans will need to make their own way to a third country when they are able to do so. We are contacting all those immediately impacted by this change.'
Impossible Choices for Those Left Behind
Abdul, the former frontline interpreter, said: 'We live in hiding, we have little or no money because I am unable to work as a result of working for the UK forces. How can I fund my own escape? How can I pay for the documents and visas needed? I am truly shocked, as we were told to wait and we would be helped. The Taliban still hunts us, it controls the issue of documents, it controls the borders…they will be celebrating.'
Professor Sara de Jong, a founding member of the Sulha Alliance, which helps former translators and Afghans who worked for UK forces, warned: 'This announcement brings despair to interpreters with a relocation offer who are still in Afghanistan. It is an injustice that they will be denied assistance to leave Afghanistan safely.' She added: 'The withdrawal of the in-country support comes as a shock to Afghans who have been years in hiding, fearful of Taliban revenge. It also causes incredible pain to Afghans in the UK who thought the relocation offer for vulnerable and at-risk family members meant that they would finally be reunited. Now that is a distant prospect.'
Professor de Jong said: 'The British government's in-country support that earlier very effectively helped Afghans who stood by us to safety should not be dismantled before all eligible Afghans have arrived in the UK. Those left behind are confronted with impossible financial costs and risks, which leaves the Government's promise of a visa empty.'
Legal and Financial Concerns
Lawyer Ms Alcock, of Leigh Day, described the announcement as 'shocking and deeply disappointing', adding: 'We have clients stuck in Afghanistan, unable to afford the inflated costs of visas to travel to a third country for onward processing by the Home Office. The serious and unacceptable delays that have plagued the ARAP scheme from the beginning have directly contributed to the dire financial situation of our ARAP-eligible clients, unable to work for nearly five years due to the risk to their lives.'
Government's Reassurance
In his ministerial statement, Mr Pollard said: 'I want to reassure eligible Afghans that once they reach a safe third country, we maintain provision of our current support until 2028.' He added: 'This year, more eligible Afghans have self-moved to a third country. Having seen increased evidence of successful self-moves and after assessing carefully again the risks to this cohort and other factors, including the value for money for the taxpayer, we have decided to end in-country assistance for movements out of Afghanistan.'
Ongoing Controversies
This is the latest setback for UK schemes to help loyal Afghans. The Daily Mail revealed last year how a data blunder put 100,000 people at risk of death when the Ministry of Defence lost a database containing personal details of those who had applied for sanctuary. Ministers approved a £7 billion bill to help undo the damage, while using a super-injunction to prevent the public or Parliament from finding out.
