Lord Sedwill

The Cabinet Office's Comprehensive Landscape Review of Arm's-Length Bodies across government is ongoing. Decisions will be announced in due course.

According to the latest published data, 19,201 Afghan nationals have been admitted to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and other schemes, but this total is not broken down by individuals' previous employment status.

According to the latest published data, 19,201 Afghan nationals have been admitted to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and other schemes, but this total is not broken down by individuals' previous employment status.

All applicants that receive an ineligible outcome may seek a review of their decision within 90 days of receiving this decision, in accordance with the ARAP Review Policy. Further information on this can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance

All decisions made in the Triples Review carry a right to have this decision reviewed, however the Triples Review has not been extended to every ARAP applicant.

The ARAP eligibility criteria have not changed. As a result, no previously ineligible principal applicants have had cases reviewed against revised criteria.

Each ARAP scheme application is assessed individually against the eligibility criteria outlined under the Immigration Rules: Appendix ARAP. Further information on this can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance#eligibility-under-the-arap

It is not possible to provide a comprehensive breakdown of figures by employment dates or job roles, including those who worked in NATO and International Security Assistance Force command structures. This is because this information is not presented in a format that is readily available, nor included in published statistics.

Each ARAP scheme application is assessed individually against the eligibility criteria outlined under the Immigration Rules: Appendix ARAP. Applicants cannot directly apply under a particular category. Further information on this can be found in the attached and at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance#eligibility-under-the-arap

It is not possible to provide a comprehensive breakdown of figures by employment dates or job roles, including those who worked in NATO and International Security Assistance Force command structures. This is because this information is not presented in a format that is readily available, nor included in published statistics.

Each ARAP scheme application is assessed individually against the eligibility criteria outlined under the Immigration Rules: Appendix ARAP. Applicants cannot directly apply under a particular category. Further information on this can be found in the attached and at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance#eligibility-under-the-arap

Afghan resettlement is a cross-Government effort, with costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and other Government departments including the Home Office, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

On 18 March 2026, the NAO published a report which detailed the costs of the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) in response to the Department’s provision of information on MOD spending to the NAO. Part Three of this report sets out funding for the schemes, the costs incurred to date, and expected future costs. This report can be accessed via the link below:

https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/investigation-into-the-afghan-resettlement-schemes.pdf

The report lays out that, since 2021, His Majesty’s Government (HMG) has spent £3.1 billion on the ARP. HMG estimates a total cost of £5.5-6 billion on Afghan resettlement activity throughout the life of the programme. This figure is kept under review using the latest data available.

The MOD and its cross-Government partners will continue to update Parliament including the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee in line with usual processes throughout the course of the ARP.