RASC News Agency: On Monday, British media reported that the UK government has decided to grant asylum to hundreds of former Afghanistani commandos and their families, recognizing them as eligible for resettlement. These individuals had previously seen their asylum applications rejected under the former UK administration. According to “The Sunday Times”, around 500 members of Afghanistan’s special forces, who were once employed by the British government, now meet the criteria for relocation due to their direct service to the UK.
Following the fall of Afghanistan’s previous government, the “BBC” revealed that nearly 2,000 former Afghanistani commandos, who served in elite “Triple A” units created and funded by the UK, had their asylum claims turned down. However, new assessments indicate that these forces were indeed employed by the British government, contradicting prior assertions by the Conservative government, which had dismissed their direct involvement.
Luke Pollard, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Defence, informed the House of Commons that a Defence Ministry review has confirmed the direct employment of many Afghanistani commandos by the British state. Pollard corrected previous government statements, explaining that earlier rejections were based on incomplete records. He further announced that roughly 2,000 cases previously denied are now under reconsideration, with 25% of applications already approved, paving the way for their resettlement in the UK along with their families.
Pollard also clarified that the original denials were not motivated by any ill will but stemmed from inadequate access to accurate employment information at the time. Nonetheless, the review process does not guarantee resettlement for all former members of the “Triple A” forces, as some applications are still under thorough reassessment. A joint investigation by “The Independent”, “Lighthouse Reports”, and “Sky News” uncovered evidence that many former Afghanistani commandos who collaborated closely with British forces were subjected to torture, and some were even killed, following the fall of Kabul.
