June 6, 2023
3 mins read

Afghan personnel hunted by Taliban denied UK sanctuary

Tobias Ellwood MP, chair of the defense select committee, warned that the Taliban were still hunting Afghan workers who aided Western forces…reports Asian Lite News

Afghans who worked for the UK military and who are at risk of Taliban reprisal attacks are being refused sanctuary in the UK, The Independent reported.

The revelations are part of an investigation by the newspaper into Britain’s relocation policies regarding Afghan military personnel who aided UK forces.

The Independent’s latest report found that former mechanics, laborers and chefs are being rejected by the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme because they fail to classify as having served in frontline roles alongside British troops.

But that distinction is not recognized by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, with the former staff and contractors facing revenge attacks as a result of their work for British forces.

Tobias Ellwood MP, chair of the defense select committee, warned that the Taliban were still hunting Afghan workers who aided Western forces.

He said: “I don’t believe the Taliban share the same criteria. They gained access to databases of all local Afghans who were assisting ISAF forces and local Taliban continue to hunt them down for execution. Each case should be judged on its own merit.”

Some of the Afghans who aided the UK war effort and who fled to the UK in the wake of the Taliban takeover have appealed to the government to help their former colleagues still trapped in Afghanistan.

But Armed Forces Minister James Heappey has said that the government has no intention of expanding the ARAP criteria to include former non-frontline staff and contractors.

An Afghan mechanic who repaired troop carriers and armored vehicles during the conflict was rejected by the scheme last year, but is now appealing the decision through a judicial review.

He was left jobless when British troops pulled out of the country, and later worked for NGOs and as a contractor for private military forces.

But following the Taliban takeover, the man was forced into hiding, with his former colleagues demanding that the UK grant him sanctuary through the ARAP scheme.

A former British Army adviser and colleague of the mechanic told The Independent: “We are trying to do our best for him and his family but he is in a very bad situation. A lot of people are being disappeared and he is all the time hiding himself because many people know that he worked with the British Army.

“Lots of people in the same situation applied for ARAP. I don’t know why ARAP just rejected his case.”

The mechanic’s solicitor, Stephanie Alban, who is challenging the decision, said: “His life is in danger so I thought they would deal with it in days and not weeks. He is in hiding and he has been moving to avoid the Taliban.

“People in the local area would know that he worked for the British. He’s on their record so they will be looking for him and targeting him. It feels like these employees have just been forgotten. You shouldn’t have to do judicial reviews just to get a simple decision on a straightforward case.”

Other Afghan personnel denied by the ARAP scheme have said that they were still exposed to danger and risk despite not serving in frontline combat roles.

ALSO READ-Taliban planning to relocate refugees alongside Durand Line

Previous Story

Sunak says plan stopping small migrant boats is working

Next Story

Austin slams China’s ‘bullying and coercion’ in India visit

Latest from -Top News

Sisi, MBZ cement ties

UAE and Egypt bolster ties through high-level talks in Abu Dhabi and a landmark cardiac care initiative delivering lifesaving treatment to rural communities The United Arab Emirates and Egypt reaffirmed their strong

‘UAE leads global fight against plastic waste’

UAE accelerates its fight against plastic pollution with a bold single-use plastic ban and expanded environmental policies to safeguard natural ecosystems for future generations The United Arab Emirates continues to lead the

70,000 Gaza kids starve

WFP warned that any further escalation of conflict could paralyse relief operations altogether, deepening the plight of civilians—especially children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies, the

Prayers on the Mount

The Day of Arafat, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj pilgrimage, witnessed a congregation of believers from around the world As the sun blazed overhead and temperatures climbed to a sweltering 41°C,

EID MUBARAK!

UAE marks Eid Al Adha with housing support, children’s gifts, pardons, and cultural celebrations, reflecting a national spirit of compassion, unity, and shared community values Across the UAE, Eid Al Adha is
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Music causes moral corruption: Taliban

Since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban

Taliban warns foreign troops will be at risk as occupiers

It comes amid reports that 1,000 mainly US troops could