RASC News Agency: David Cameron contends that hundreds of individuals, promised asylum in the United Kingdom, find themselves stranded in Afghanistan. The UK Foreign Secretary, in a missive to parliamentary representatives, disclosed that fewer than 700 individuals eligible for entry under a program for vulnerable Afghanistani refugees are still located in Taliban-controlled territory.
The Foreign Secretary oversees a pathway within the Afghanistani Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), tailored specifically for educators, British Council contractors, embassy security personnel, and young scientists. Alicia Kearns, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, voiced concerns to Cameron in a December letter about the beleaguered resettlement plans, questioning, “Why is the government falling significantly short of its targets? And what significant steps are being taken to ensure an appreciable acceleration in processing times?”
Cameron responded, outlining that two flights to bring Afghanistanis from Pakistan to the UK have been scheduled for December. The initial aircraft, arriving on December 13, transported 246 individuals, with another plane following a week later. It had been previously revealed that English diplomats had alerted the government to the predicament of eligible Afghanistanis in Pakistan and Iran, who were trapped and unable to secure safety.
Following Pakistan’s expulsion of illegal Afghanistani residents, the government encountered challenges in repatriating Afghanistanis. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, alongside the Ministers of Interior, Defense, and Foreign Affairs, grappled with various legal hurdles arising from the government’s mishandling of their relocation in Blatkhalif. Cameron stated that plans are in place to bring the remaining 1,500 eligible Afghanistanis to the UK through the Foreign Office’s route but emphasized the challenging prospect of swiftly ensuring their security in Afghanistan.
Referring to those stuck in Iran, he added that Tehran embassy staff were diligently working to evacuate them as expeditiously as possible. It is noteworthy that Iran and Pakistan have detained and subsequently deported a considerable number of Afghanistani migrants in recent months.
