Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the eligibility criteria for the second stage of the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme Pathway 3.

Resettlement of eligible Afghans remains a top priority for this government. As of June 2023, around 24,600 vulnerable people affected by the events in Afghanistan have been brought to safety. This includes the first individuals to be relocated under Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).

Under the first stage of Pathway 3, the government will consider all eligible at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors and Chevening alumni that expressed an interest during the FCDO’s window of opportunity. This means we will exceed the original cap of 1,500 places for the first stage of ACRS Pathway 3. Our immediate focus is on ensuring their resettlement.

In the second stage of Pathway 3, our commitment to work with international partners and NGOs to welcome wider groups of Afghans still stands. However, we are not able to open for referrals at this present time for the second stage of Pathway 3, but further information will be published in due course.