Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme are awaiting a response; and what the average time taken is to process applications under that scheme.

As of 12 December 2024, 7,662 principal applicants are awaiting an initial eligibility decision under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. This Government has inherited a large number of ARAP applications but is committed to continuously improving the efficiency of the decision-making process across all cases, so that eligible applicants are identified and relocated quickly. . The time it takes to process an ARAP application varies, and not all applicants will receive an eligibility decision in the same timeframe due a wide range of factors, for example the length of time an applicant takes to respond to a request for information and verification checks required with Other Government Departments. Each case is assessed on its own merit and, as such, some may take longer than others to process.