The UK is failing to bring Afghan allies to safety through its dedicated resettlement routes, endangering the safety of thousands of people, lawyers and refugee caseworkers have said.
One Afghan pilot said his wife has been left “suffering mentally and emotionally” as he is separated from her by the process.
A coalition of 150 lawyers and charity workers have called on the new government to not forget Afghans still seeking safety, saying: “We ask that the promises made are now upheld.”
They said in a letter that the scheme’s failure “puts lives at risk and causes immense despair, fear and desperation”.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson pledged to bring 20,000 Afghans who championed British values, such as women’s rights activists or other vulnerable people, to the UK through a dedicated Home Office scheme. However just under 2000 Afghans have been relocated to the UK under two relevant schemes following Operation Pitting, the Western evacuation of Kabul in August 2021.
This story is from the July 05, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the July 05, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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