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.
SHAITTAN
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
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Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Team Angel Wolf Beach Blast takes place every Wednesday between 4:30pm and 5:30pm
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Volvo ES90 Specs
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
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Stage result
1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 4:42:34
2. Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
5. Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
6. Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
7. Max Kanter (Ger) Movistar Team
8. Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
9. Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
10. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirate
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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