Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department will publish the full eligibility criteria for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

On 6 September, the Prime Minister gave an update on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which will provide a safe and legal route for up to 20,000 Afghans in the region over the coming years, with 5,000 in the first year – one of the most generous schemes in British history.

Under this scheme we will work with the United Nations and aid agencies to identify those we should help, as we have done in respect of those who fled the war in Syria. We will also include those who have contributed to civil society or face a particular risk from the Taliban, for example, because of their role in standing up for democracy and human rights, or because of their gender, sexuality or religion. Those arriving through the ACRS will be granted immediate Indefinite Leave to Remain, allowing them to benefit from full rights and entitlements and providing them with the certainty and stability they need to build their life here.

We are working urgently to open this route and further details will be announced in due course.