Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many letters her Department has sent to Afghan nationals in the UK telling them to make arrangements to the leave the country or face deportation since the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan; and what arrangements those affected should make in the absence of flights from the UK to Afghanistan and in response to Government advice not to travel to that country.

The Home Office processes many different types of immigration applications and/or asylum claims from Afghan nationals. All immigration decisions, including those from Afghan nationals, are carefully considered on a case by case basis, on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations and Home Office policy.

The Home Office has reviewed the country situation given recent changes in Afghanistan, have updated and published our country policy and information notes for Afghanistan on those seeking protection, latest update 2 November 2021, which reflect revised assessments of risk of persecution. Decision making in regards protection claims from Afghanistan have resumed, following a short pause to review policy, and have ensured our decision makers are considering claimants’ protection needs in line with up-to date country information.

No one who is found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm will be expected to return to Afghanistan. Inadmissibility rules apply to all nationals where it is considered that there has been an earlier presence or connection to a safe third country. Removals to Afghanistan have been suspended.

We have been clear that people should claim asylum in the first safe country that they reach and should not seek to enter the UK illegally. Our New Plan for Immigration underpins this principle.