Defence minister James Heappey has said it is "great at last" to welcome Afghans who worked with the British army "to their new permanent homes", as he lifted the lid on the secretive operation to airlift thousands of refugees out of Pakistan and bring them to safety in Britain.
Speaking exclusively to The Independent at an army base in Leicestershire, Mr Heappey said the UK government “owe these people an enormous debt”, as it was revealed that 1,500 had been scrambled to the UK since the Ministry of Defence operation began in October.
Around 1,100 of these have been brought to MoD Garats Hay – a remote army base in the countryside just outside of Loughborough – since October when Rishi Sunak’s government performed a U-turn and decided that all Afghans eligible for the UK’s flagship resettlement schemes should be brought to Britain from Pakistan immediately.
The airlift came after The Independent revealed the plight of nearly 3,000 Afghans who have been approved for refuge in Britain but were stranded in UK-funded hotels in Islamabad after the UK stopped chartering flights, insisting families must find their own place to live in Britain before relocation.
But the operation is far from over. The government still needs to bring around 1,300 Afghans who are eligible under the MoD’s resettlement scheme from Islamabad to the UK, which it is aiming to do by the end of December. Currently, some 4,000 Afghans who worked with the British forces in the fight against the Taliban, and who have been approved for relocation, are still stranded in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin December 01, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin December 01, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Courageous Brighton rock Man City to reach top four
Brighton staged a sensational late fightback to come from behind and send Manchester City to a fourth consecutive defeat with a pulsating 2-1 win at the Amex Stadium.
Doubt creeps in as England.stung at the death again
Another week, another heartbreak for England and now serious questions must be asked about the direction of the Steve Borthwick project.
'Guys on mopeds were beating up an Israeli... they were looking for Jews'
Football hooligans and ‘antisemitic hit-and-run squads' made for a volatile Amsterdam atmosphere, reports Barney Davis.
Inside 4B - the women's group going on ‘men strike'
Zoë Beaty meets an American who's become a symbol for the growing movement of females rejecting relations with men
Qatar to suspend mediation efforts on Gaza, say officials
Qatar has decided to suspend its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, officials said yesterday, after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a ceasefire deal for Gaza.
Biden bears brunt of blame game among the Democrats
Fingers are pointing at the president after Donald Trump's sweeping victory - but some strategists argue other factors played a part in Kamala Harris's defeat, writes
Chief of staff dubbed ice maiden by Trump will keep 'clowns' out of Oval Office
Informal advisers that dogged first presidency to be got rid of
Coroner's warning of cancel culture after student suicide
A coroner has called on the government to examine the prevalence of \"cancel culture\" on university campuses, after ruling that a 20-year-old Oxford student took his own life after being \"ostracised\" by his peers.
'I did not know you could be born without a uterus'
Andreia Trigo is dedicated to helping others struggling with infertility because of her own diagnosis of MRKH syndrome
Healey says Ukraine war inspired son to join army
The defence secretary has revealed his son joined the army as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying the conflict is now “personal”.