Hundreds of Afghan staff who served with overseas cultural and language body the British Council have told of their fears of life under the Taliban after the UK rejected their applications for resettlement.
Former employees of its Afghanistan network say their requests for asylum were denied under the UK's Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy.
Interpreter Shir Mohammad Mirzaee is urging the UK to relocate him and says the scheme should be more inclusive.
"Terrorists don't ask about the type and length of our contracts," he said. "Relocate us to UK."
Muzhda Dawlatzada said British Council employees should not be discriminated against.
"We worked for the British Council's English for Afghans project as frontline soldiers in provinces," he said. "There shouldn't be any discrimination among employees."
Another former employee, Ali Afshar, said with lives at risk in Afghanistan, now is "the time for the UK to provide us safety and relocate us".
The Sulha Alliance, representing translators, is pushing for the British government to hear directly from interpreters before rejecting their applications.
"Officials deciding on Afghan interpreters' right to resettlement face incomplete files and a lack of clarity over reasons of dismissal," it said.
"Could we establish a process to allow Afghan interpreters to be heard before rejecting their cases?"
Last week it was revealed that interpreters were facing long waits for their applications to be processed.
The Times reported that one member of the unit at the embassy in Kabul said the “very small” team was dealing with “vast amounts” of applications involving complex issues.
The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy is being run in parallel with the military withdrawal to bring people who are judged to be at serious risk of reprisals to Britain.
It is open only to people in Afghanistan who worked as interpreters or in prosecuting Taliban members. The government says those in low-level support roles, such as cooks and cleaners, are not eligible.
Writing in The Telegraph, Johnny Mercer, the former minister for veterans, accused the British government of a "complete abandonment” of those “who crossed the threshold for a better Afghanistan”.
Britain's Foreign Office this week advised all UK citizens to leave Afghanistan because of the deteriorating security situation.
In a joint letter to Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace last week said they had relocated more than 3,000 people under the programme and have pledged to conduct a review into those who were rejected.
They wrote in response to an open letter from 45 retired military officers and officials who said Britain’s relocation programme for at-risk civilians in Afghanistan was “not fit for purpose”.
Lord Dannatt and other senior military figures had voiced concerns that Afghan staff were being rejected for relocation due to security fears.
The government said it would examine all new applications and appeals in which new evidence is presented.
The National has requested a comment on the issue from the British Council.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
