Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme were rejected by his Department in each month since April 2021.

As of 31 May 2023, 28,790 ARAP applications have been rejected by the Ministry of Defence. A monthly breakdown is available below.

A finite number of Afghans are eligible for ARAP. Based on HMG records, we estimate there are approximately 378 Afghans eligible for ARAP remaining in Afghanistan. It is important that every applicant to the scheme receives a response, but we know the vast majority of applications are speculative and likely ineligible, so our priority is finding and supporting the relocation of eligible Afghans and their families out of Afghanistan and into the safety of third countries at best pace.