Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of British citizens currently in Afghanistan.
Between 15-28 August over 8,000 British nationals and dependents were evacuated from Afghanistan. Additionally the FCDO has supported over 60 British nationals and their eligible dependants to leave Afghanistan on Qatari Government charter flights. We continue to work to support British nationals and their dependants to leave Afghanistan if that is their wish. We expect British people to take responsibility for themselves and their safety while overseas. The FCDO does not routinely ask British nationals to register with a British Embassy or High Commission overseas. Recognising the circumstances in Afghanistan, British nationals still in Afghanistan were asked to register their continued presence to allow the FCDO to maintain contact after the evacuation phase ended. We use this information to communicate with British nationals and assess the data provided by those who have registered.