Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to provide information to hon. Members on whether the cases they have referred to her Department will be considered for resettlement under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will prioritise those who have assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for UK values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech and rule of law; and vulnerable people such as women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups (including ethnic / religious minorities and LGBT+).

There is no application process for the ACRS. Instead, eligible people will be prioritised and referred for resettlement through one of three ways. The statement of 6 January sets this out in detail: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme

Representations from Members of Parliament have raised the plight of a great number of people from Afghanistan who would wish to relocate to the UK.

These representations have helped to inform the design of the ACRS as a scheme that will help those in need who are particularly vulnerable, including women and children at risk, and minority groups; as well as those who have supported the UK mission in Afghanistan.

All referrals onto the ACRS will be through the three pathways set out in the statement to Parliament of 6 January, which is a fair and equitable way to identify those most in need.

As an additional verification step, we shall check names of eligible British Council and GardaWorld contractors and Chevening alumni against the names of people referred to us by MPs during the evacuation.