Cameron says a whole bunch in Afghanistan awaiting resettlement to the UK

Hundreds of individuals are nonetheless caught in Afghanistan or different nations awaiting resettlement to the UK greater than two years after the Taliban takeover, Lord David Cameron has mentioned.

Almost two-thirds of individuals eligible to return to the UK beneath a scheme for many who straight supported the British and worldwide group’s efforts in the course of the battle are but to be resettled.

There has been one case of somebody being deported again to Afghanistan regardless of being on a scheme for susceptible refugees.

When Taliban militants returned to energy in summer time 2021 after Western forces, together with the US and UK, withdrew following a 20-year occupation, the British Government introduced authorized routes for these ‘most susceptible and in danger’ to return to the UK.

They dedicated to welcome as much as 20,000 individuals beneath the Afghan residents resettlement scheme (ACRS) however campaigners have criticised the method for being sluggish. 

The scheme is cut up into three pathways, with the third particularly for British Council contractors, GardaWorld contractors and Chevening alumni – all of whom are deemed to have ‘straight supported the UK and worldwide group’s efforts in Afghanistan’.

The Government initially put a cap of 1,500 locations for this primary stage of pathway three, however mentioned that with eligible members of the family coming too, this may doubtless be exceeded.

There has been ongoing concern about eligible Afghans being caught in different nations as they attempt to make it to the UK.

The plight of some elite veterans, who fought alongside UK forces however have been since threatened with being deported again to their house nation from Pakistan, was raised final month within the House of Lords.

Pakistan had introduced it was expelling Afghans who took refuge there as a part of an ongoing crackdown on individuals with out legitimate papers.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has given an replace on these awaiting resettlement within the UK, together with a whole bunch nonetheless caught in Afghanistan.

In a letter to Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns, he mentioned there had been two flights, one with 246 individuals on board, in December, that means ‘that just about the entire most susceptible undocumented EPs (eligible individuals) could have left Pakistan’ earlier than a deadline of December 31, 2023.

He added: ‘Over a 3rd of all these resulting from come to the UK beneath this primary stage of ACRS pathway three could have obtained right here earlier than the top of the 12 months.’

He mentioned: ‘Plans are in place to convey the rest of these now in third nations to the UK early within the New Year, leaving solely these nonetheless in Afghanistan, of which our estimate is there are lower than 700.’

He mentioned that for these individuals their journey to the UK will rely on whether or not they can safe the required documentation to be allowed to depart Afghanistan, and visas for third nations, to cross the border.

On individuals being deported again to Afghanistan having fled, Lord Cameron mentioned there had been one case beneath ACRS pathway two, which covers susceptible refugees referred for resettlement to the UK by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

He mentioned the Foreign Office was not conscious of any deportations beneath pathway three or beneath the Afghan relocations and help coverage (Arap) which was arrange for Afghan residents who labored for or with the UK Government in Afghanistan.

Lord Cameron mentioned he was ‘not complacent’ about deportations, including: ‘We proceed to work laborious to attempt to make sure there are not any additional circumstances.’

Ms Kearns mentioned this was a ‘cross-cutting, complicated space’ and that Lord Cameron had offered ‘some much-needed readability on the present state of Afghan resettlement schemes and the remits and obligations in authorities’.

She mentioned there was ‘lastly’ some ‘motion in the fitting path’.

But she added there stay ‘critical issues over the hazard that eligible Afghans, together with those that put their lives in danger for the UK, will likely be deported again to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan’ which she mentioned could be a ‘betrayal of the guarantees we made to them and would place them in substantial peril’.

She added: ‘It stays the case that two thirds of the Afghans eligible for resettlement within the UK beneath the primary stage of ACRS pathway three have not been resettled, and this letter doesn’t present particulars on the Government’s plans to evacuate them to the UK.

‘The Foreign Affairs Committee will proceed to scrutinise the UK’s strategy to the fallout from the Afghanistan evacuation, and advocate for these Afghans who made important sacrifices on our behalf.’

Lord Cameron will seem earlier than the Foreign Affairs committee subsequent week for the primary time since turning into Foreign Secretary.

Figures printed in November, the newest accessible, confirmed that 1,110 Afghans arrived within the UK within the 12 months to September beneath the authorized routes created by the Home Office after the autumn of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

Arrivals beneath the schemes have been down from 5,346 within the 12 months to September 2022.

Under the ACRS, 224 individuals have been resettled within the UK within the 12 months to September 2023, 96 of them aged beneath 18.

Some 886 arrived beneath Arap, of whom greater than half (501) have been beneath 18.