The UK government has expedited the process to relocate hundreds of Afghan refugees, who are eligible for asylum, from Pakistan due to a crackdown on illegal foreign nationals.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021, the UK authorities considered evacuating around 3,000 Afghans who had worked with the British army to the UK. However, these Afghans in Pakistan since last year due to the UK authorities’ decision to cease chartering flights for them and the need to arrange housing in Britain before traveling.
Pakistani authorities accommodated these people in hotels in Islamabad, and the police reportedly raided one of these hotels recently as part of the crackdown. The authorities also detained some Afghan nationals with expired visas and subsequently released them following the intervention of the UK High Commission’s staff.
The UK government has initiated the process of finding accommodation for these refugees and will then arrange flights for their relocation. A few Afghan families went to the UK on commercial flights last week, and more refugees will travel in the days to follow.
According to The Independent, approximately 2,300 Afghans in Pakistan are eligible for resettlement under the UK Ministry of Defence’s scheme, while another 700 qualify for relocation to the UK under a Foreign Office scheme.
One Afghan national who had worked as an interpreter with British forces expressed frustration at the prolonged wait in Pakistan, saying he had been waiting for nearly two years. He described the challenges of life in Pakistan and the feeling of abandonment.
The UK government has stated that it is committed to honoring its commitments to Afghan nationals and is actively issuing new visas to individuals in Afghanistan and other countries for resettlement in the UK.
