Afghanistan: Immigration

(asked on 18th August 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to implement the recommendation of the International Relations and Defence Select Committee in its report The UK and Afghanistan, published on 13 January (HL Paper 208), that the "UK Government should ensure that all Afghan interpreters who worked for the UK military, including those now resident in third countries, are aware of, and able to access the provisions of, the ex-gratia scheme".


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 1st September 2021

The UK is committed to help Afghan staff who have assisted us and we are working to get them and their families out as fast as we can. The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which came into effect in April 2021, offers relocation or other assistance to current and former locally employed Afghan staff. This scheme is in addition to the existing Ex Gratia Scheme (EGS) which will remain open until November 2022. After November 2022, eligible Afghan staff will still be able to relocate via ARAP. Prior to the current evacuation the UK assisted over 1,900 to leave Afghanistan between April and August under the ARAP scheme. Through the current Operation PITTING evacuation, as of 31 August we have evacuated more than 16,000 people from Kabul. This includes Afghan interpreters, staff and their families who served alongside our brave military and are eligible under the ARAP programme. Our officials are working as quickly as possible to bring more people to safety in the United Kingdom, via third countries.

Reticulating Splines