UK Urges 9,000 Eligible Afghans to Relocate to Third Countries
The UK Ministry of Defence has announced that eligible Afghans seeking relocation must apply for visas through third countries. On Tuesday, April 26, UK Defence Secretary Luke Pollard wrote in a letter to Parliament that around 9,000 Afghans qualify for relocation, and London will assist with their transfer process until 2028.
According to the letter, the UK’s support programs for Afghans will end after 2028. Pollard emphasized that the Ministry of Defence is scaling down its support programs for Afghan allies within Afghanistan and will cease direct assistance for evacuation from Afghanistan.
He cited an increase in independent relocation of eligible Afghans to third countries as the reason for this decision. The letter states that considering the evidence of success in these personal relocations and after assessing risks and other factors, including costs to British taxpayers, it has been decided to end direct support within Afghanistan.
The UK Defence Secretary also mentioned that the use of military facilities for housing Afghan refugees has been reduced, with two out of six hotels used as their accommodations being closed to save costs.
The UK’s resettlement programs for Afghans closed to new applicants in July last year. Most of these families qualified for relocation due to their prior collaboration with British forces in Afghanistan or because their identities and information had been exposed.
Last year, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that personal details of some Afghan applicants had been leaked—a move that, according to the ministry, endangered thousands of lives. These individuals face uncertainty as the Taliban, after returning to power, have imposed widespread restrictions across various sectors, and concerns about the safety of former foreign forces collaborators continue.
