Around 200 Afghan special forces personnel who are stranded in Pakistan while awaiting relocation to the UK may face deportation back to Afghanistan, according to a BBC report. These personnel were trained and funded by the UK and sought refuge in Pakistan after the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021.
The report indicates that the UK government rejected calls from senior British diplomatic and military figures to offer asylum to 32 Afghan leaders who worked closely with the UK and US in Helmand province.
The Afghan personnel had applied for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Programme (Arap), which is designed for officials employed by the UK government or those who worked alongside its departments.
Many of these officials and soldiers were rejected, and others are still waiting for a decision after more than a year. The BBC report highlights the plight of these individuals, including one special forces soldier identified as Ali, who is living in a single room with his wife and five children as Pakistani authorities crack down on illegal foreign nationals.
The Ministry of Defence in the UK stated that approximately 24,600 people have been brought to safety, and each Arap application is assessed individually according to published policy.
The fate of these Afghan personnel underscores the challenges faced by those who collaborated with international forces and now find themselves in vulnerable situations.
