Home Office

We apologise for the delay and will respond to your correspondence shortly.

The board of the College of Policing consists of:

• the College chief executive officer (CEO)
• four independent directors from various sectors
• one chief constable
• one member of police staff
• one member from the superintendent ranks
• one member from the federated ranks
• one police and crime commissioner

The CEO is employed by the College. The remaining Directors are non-executive and are appointed by the Home Secretary.

The articles of association for College of Policing will be published by Companies House shortly and made available on their website.

Please see the policy statement published on 13th September.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

Further details will be provided in due course.

In line with the current policy on overseas fee waivers and with reference to Question 45845, applicants can still apply for an overseas fee waiver, but the application will be placed on hold pending the revised guidance. If an application is received and it is clear the applicant’s need to travel to the UK is urgent, the application will be considered. This applies to all nationalities, including Afghan nationals.

The Government is committed to clamping down on domestic abuse. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 achieved Royal Assent in April and is a game- changing piece of legislation which transforms our response to these crimes. We plan to publish the Domestic Abuse Strategy later this year. It will seek to transform the whole of society’s response to domestic abuse, including by strengthening the systems in place to tackle it and through a focus on pursuing perpetrators of these crimes.

The College of Policing has issued guidance to all police forces on the ‘Identification, assessment and management of serial or potentially dangerous domestic abuse and stalking perpetrators’. The key principles set out that forces should have processes in place to identify serial or potentially dangerous domestic abuse or stalking perpetrators and ensure that information about the perpetrator is recorded on the Police National Computer, the Police National Database or ViSOR as appropriate.

The Domestic Abuse Matters training developed by the College of Policing in partnership with SafeLives and has been delivered to 27 forces as of April 2021, with a further six forces in discussion. We continue to work closely with the College to see what more can be done to encourage take up of the Domestic Abuse Matters programme. We look forward to working with DCC Maggie Blyth as the new NPCC national VAWG lead, a key recommendation of the first ever VAWG strategy which reported this summer.

Our landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021 places the guidance on which the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (also known as Clare’s Law) is based into statute. This will place a duty on the police to apply the guidance unless there is good reason not to and will strengthen the visibility and consistent operation of the scheme across England and Wales.

We are also working to address the recommendations made in the HMICFRS review of policing domestic abuse in the pandemic.

The Home Office has purchased 17 Union Jack flags since 2019, details of which are listed below:

• 2 Marsham Street – 8 Union Jack flags purchased from The Flag Consultancy Ltd;
• Dallas Court – 1 Union Jack purchased from the Bespoke Flag Maker and Flagpoles company;
• Lunar House/Apollo House – 8 Union Jack flags provided by FM provider (Kier).

All of these flags were manufactured in the UK.

The Home Office has purchased 17 Union Jack flags since 2019, details of which are listed below:

• 2 Marsham Street – 8 Union Jack flags purchased from The Flag Consultancy Ltd;
• Dallas Court – 1 Union Jack purchased from the Bespoke Flag Maker and Flagpoles company;
• Lunar House/Apollo House – 8 Union Jack flags provided by FM provider (Kier).

All of these flags were manufactured in the UK.

The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not yet open We are working through how many of those who were unable to board flights will be offered a place under the ACRS. More details, as soon as they are available, will be published on the GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme

Between 15 and 29 August, the Department evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. That includes over 8,000 British nationals, along with their dependants; and 5,000 Afghans who loyally served the UK, along with their dependants; and around 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women’s rights, judges and many others.

As the Government has announced, Afghans who have arrived under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme will be given indefinite leave to remain and others who arrived and are moving onto the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will also be given ILR; we are working through individuals on a case by case basis.

The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not yet open We are working through how many of those who were unable to board flights will be offered a place under the ACRS. More details, as soon as they are available, will be published on the GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme

Between 15 and 29 August, the Department evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. That includes over 8,000 British nationals, along with their dependants; and 5,000 Afghans who loyally served the UK, along with their dependants; and around 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women’s rights, judges and many others.

As the Government has announced, Afghans who have arrived under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme will be given indefinite leave to remain and others who arrived and are moving onto the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will also be given ILR; we are working through individuals on a case by case basis.

The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not yet open We are working through how many of those who were unable to board flights will be offered a place under the ACRS. More details, as soon as they are available, will be published on the GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme

Between 15 and 29 August, the Department evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. That includes over 8,000 British nationals, along with their dependants; and 5,000 Afghans who loyally served the UK, along with their dependants; and around 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women’s rights, judges and many others.

As the Government has announced, Afghans who have arrived under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme will be given indefinite leave to remain and others who arrived and are moving onto the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will also be given ILR; we are working through individuals on a case by case basis.

The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not yet open We are working through how many of those who were unable to board flights will be offered a place under the ACRS. More details, as soon as they are available, will be published on the GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme

Between 15 and 29 August, the Department evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. That includes over 8,000 British nationals, along with their dependants; and 5,000 Afghans who loyally served the UK, along with their dependants; and around 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women’s rights, judges and many others.

As the Government has announced, Afghans who have arrived under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme will be given indefinite leave to remain and others who arrived and are moving onto the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will also be given ILR; we are working through individuals on a case by case basis.

The Home Office uses a “hub and spoke” model for all overseas visa applications whereby applications made at Visa Application Centres across the globe are routed electronically into regional hubs, including in the UK.

We will be able to meet any increase in demand through redirecting applications and redeploying staff to relevant decision making centres where required. We have not needed to deploy any additional staff to countries neighbouring Afghanistan but will keep this under review.

The Government’s family reunion policy allows a partner and children under 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join them here if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. For Afghan refugees in the UK, we already have rules in place for their close family members to apply to join them in the UK and these can be found at https://www.gov.uk/settlement-refugee-or-humanitarian-protection/family-reunion

The UK is working with international partners to secure safe routes out of Afghanistan as soon as they become available. However, while the security situation remains extremely volatile, we recommend people still in Afghanistan do not make applications and pay application fees at this time as they will not be considered until biometrics are provided. The British Embassy in Kabul has currently suspended in-country operations and all UK diplomatic and consular staff have been temporarily withdrawn.

Those Afghans who are outside of Afghanistan and able to get to a Visa Application Centre to provide their biometrics can make an application in the usual way.

A policy statement on Afghanistan resettlement has been published on gov.uk www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

The Home Office publishes data on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) in the ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’.

The latest published information on EUSS applications concluded to 31 August 2021, by outcome type, can be found in the table on the EU Settlement Scheme statistics collection page on GOV.UK.

The data requested on Certificates of Application is not available. Where a person who applied to the EUSS by the 30 June 2021 deadline has not yet received a Certificate of Application, they can rely on the Home Office letter or email acknowledging their application to confirm they have made an in-time application.

Since the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) opened in March 2019, the Home Office has undertaken a broad range of communications and stakeholder engagement activity to encourage EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members to apply for status under the EUSS. Extensive, and regularly updated information, factsheets and leaflets on the EUSS (including pre-settled to settled status conversion) have also been made available on GOV.UK. Stakeholders, including the Grant Funded Network of 72 organisations, have also been provided with regular updates, including on considerations for pre-settled status holders.

As of 30 June 2021, the Home Office had granted 206,490 applications for settled status from pre-settled status holders.

The Home Office also continues to communicate with EUSS status holders with information relevant to their status, including pre-settled to settled status applications. This currently includes an email exercise to all EUSS status holders, being sent throughout late September to October 2021 with reminders on key information, including pre-settled to settled status conversion.

When a person is granted pre-settled status, they also receive notification of what pre-settled status means, including the option to apply for settled status as soon as they qualify for it. This will generally be once they have completed five years’ continuous residence in the UK. Pre-settled status holders’ online UK Visas and Immigration account also provides key information on what a status holder can do in the UK, explains they can apply for settled status once they have lived continuously in the UK for five years and provides a link to GOV.UK with further information on how to do so.

The Home Office intends to provide individual pre-settled status holders with a timely reminder to apply for settled status before their pre-settled status expires. We will set out the arrangements for this in due course.

Since April 2019 we have awarded £17 million in grant funding to a network of 72 organisations, who provide a wide range of invaluable support across the UK, ensuring those vulnerable and most at-risk continue to get the help they need.

We committed a further £4.5 million of grant funding for the period 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021 to fund the current network of 72 organisations to continue to provide a range of support across the UK well beyond the 30 June deadline. We are committed to making sure everybody eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) can apply for the status they deserve, including those who are vulnerable or need extra support. This support is also available to those with Pre-Settled Status applying for Settled Status.

We are currently in consultation with the Grant-funded Network (GFN) to continue this support from 01 October 2021 – 31 March 2022.

We intend to issue reminders to people granted pre-settled status to apply for settled status before their pre-settled status expires if they have not already done so. We will set out the arrangements for this in due course.

The Home Office only has responsibility for UK visa policy in relation to those who wish to study in the UK.

The matter of financial and practical support available for outgoing UK students is for the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

I receive regular updates on a wide range of operational issues from the National Crime Agency. As the investigation mentioned is ongoing I am unable to comment further.

Since April 2021, we have relocated around 7,000 under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy, and 1,400 former staff and families were relocated between 2013 and March 2021 under the previous scheme for Afghan interpreters. The ARAP scheme will remain open to those eligible, and in addition we are committed to resettling up to 20,000 under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme in the coming years.

Those arriving under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy or Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme will receive fee-free indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Those who have already relocated to the UK under Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy or the previous scheme for Afghan Locally Employed Staff and were granted limited leave are able to apply free of charge and at any point within the period of their temporary leave to convert it to indefinite leave to remain.

In response to the current exceptional circumstances facing businesses at this time, we have made available 5,000 visas for HGV drivers to enter the UK on a short-term basis to support the fuel and food supply sector. In line with other routes, eligibility for the visa is not based on whether an applicant is an EU national.

This is a temporary measure leading into Christmas to mitigate some of the acute issues experienced at this particular time and until the range of other measures, including ramping up testing capacity and the creation of new Skills Bootcamps for HGV drivers, bite.

A bespoke new safe and legal route will welcome Afghans most at risk who have been forced to flee the country, including women, girls and religious and other minorities given their particular vulnerability, to the UK.  The ACRS will prioritise:

Those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, rule of law (for example, judges, women’s rights activists, journalists); and vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+).

Under Operation Warm Welcome, we are taking a cross-government approach to ensuring Afghans arriving in the UK are able to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate with their local communities.

All those brought to the UK under ACRS will have the right to work, access to education and healthcare and be able to apply for public funds. To ensure they will be supported properly, changes will be made to legislation so that, if necessary, people arriving under ACRS do not need to meet the habitual residence test.

They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. A package of support to acclimatise to the UK, learn English, and find work, will enable rapid self-sufficiency and social integration in UK communities.

The United Kingdom evacuated around 5,000 Afghan nationals under the ARAP scheme and around 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women’s rights, judges, and many others. Around half of those resettled were women.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), announced on 18 August, will provide those put at risk by recent events in Afghanistan with a route to safety. The scheme will prioritise:

• those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, rule of law (for example, judges, women’s rights activists, academics, journalists); and

• vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+).

In delivering the ACRS, the Government will work with the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR and other international partners in the region to identify and resettle people at risk, including women and girls.

I refer the Right Honourable member to the answer given on 9 September 2021, UIN 43418.

The Government has committed to welcoming around 5,000 people in the first year of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, and up to 20,000 in total. This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in our country’s history. Dedicated officials have worked day and night to support this unprecedented response.

It is important that we resettle people safely and provide appropriate support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. When considering the number of people we resettle, it is right that we take into account the capacity of local communities to provide this support, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.

On 13 September, I made a statement to the House of Commons providing details of the scheme. A policy statement is now published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

I would urge all Rt Honourable and Honourable Members to encourage their Local Authorities to come forward and support the efforts to resettle Afghans.

The Government has committed to welcoming around 5,000 people in the first year of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, and up to 20,000 in total. This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in our country’s history. Dedicated officials have worked day and night to support this unprecedented response.

It is important that we resettle people safely and provide appropriate support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. When considering the number of people we resettle, it is right that we take into account the capacity of local communities to provide this support, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.

On 13 September, I made a statement to the House of Commons providing details of the scheme. A policy statement is now published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

I would urge all Rt Honourable and Honourable Members to encourage their Local Authorities to come forward and support the efforts to resettle Afghans.

All those brought to the UK under ARAP and ACRS will have the right to work, access to education and healthcare and be able to apply for public funds. The Afghan Chevening Scholars who arrived in the UK were given conditions of permission which allow them to start their course of study.

The Government has written to Local Authorities to confirm that evacuees from Afghanistan are eligible for Government support, including Chevening Scholars.

The Government has committed to welcoming around 5,000 people in the first year of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, and up to 20,000 in total. This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in our country’s history.

It is important that we resettle people safely and provide appropriate support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. When considering the number of people we resettle, it is right that we take into account the capacity of local communities to provide this support. We would urge the Honourable Members to encourage Local Authorities to come forward with offers of support.

A policy statement covering further details of the Scheme is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

Through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) the UK will relocate up to 20,000 people at risk, including women and girls and minority groups, so they can rebuild their lives in safety.

Further information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the ACRS is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September, available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.

The Government has worked at pace to develop a new and bespoke resettlement scheme, announced on 18 August, which will relocate 5,000 vulnerable people in its first year. The ACRS is one of the most generous schemes in our country’s history, which will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK over coming years.

We must ensure people can be properly supported when they get to the UK. A huge programme of work spanning different government departments, charities, NGOs, local authorities and communities is already underway to resettle people safely and provide support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. It is right that we support local authorities, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.

Some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – will be the first to be resettled under the ACRS.

The Government will work with international partners and NGOs in the region to implement a referral process for those inside Afghanistan, (where safe passage can be arranged) and for those who have recently fled to other countries in the region. We will need some time to work through the details of this process, which depends in part on the situation in Afghanistan.

The Government has worked at pace to develop a new and bespoke resettlement scheme, announced on 18 August, which will relocate 5,000 vulnerable people in its first year. The ACRS is one of the most generous schemes in our country’s history, which will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK over coming years.

We must ensure people can be properly supported when they get to the UK. A huge programme of work spanning different government departments, charities, NGOs, local authorities and communities is already underway to resettle people safely and provide support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. It is right that we support local authorities, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.

Some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – will be the first to be resettled under the ACRS.

The Government will work with international partners and NGOs in the region to implement a referral process for those inside Afghanistan, (where safe passage can be arranged) and for those who have recently fled to other countries in the region. We will need some time to work through the details of this process, which depends in part on the situation in Afghanistan.

The Government has worked at pace to develop a new and bespoke resettlement scheme, announced on 18 August, which will relocate 5,000 vulnerable people in its first year. The ACRS is one of the most generous schemes in our country’s history, which will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK over coming years.

We must ensure people can be properly supported when they get to the UK. A huge programme of work spanning different government departments, charities, NGOs, local authorities and communities is already underway to resettle people safely and provide support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. It is right that we support local authorities, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.

Some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – will be the first to be resettled under the ACRS.

The Government will work with international partners and NGOs in the region to implement a referral process for those inside Afghanistan, (where safe passage can be arranged) and for those who have recently fled to other countries in the region. We will need some time to work through the details of this process, which depends in part on the situation in Afghanistan.

The Government has worked at pace to develop a new and bespoke resettlement scheme, announced on 18 August, which will relocate 5,000 vulnerable people in its first year. The ACRS is one of the most generous schemes in our country’s history, which will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK over coming years.

We must ensure people can be properly supported when they get to the UK. A huge programme of work spanning different government departments, charities, NGOs, local authorities and communities is already underway to resettle people safely and provide support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. It is right that we support local authorities, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.

Some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – will be the first to be resettled under the ACRS.

The Government will work with international partners and NGOs in the region to implement a referral process for those inside Afghanistan, (where safe passage can be arranged) and for those who have recently fled to other countries in the region. We will need some time to work through the details of this process, which depends in part on the situation in Afghanistan.

All those brought to the UK under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme will be provided with essential living items whilst accommodated in bridging hotels.

They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. A package of support to acclimatise to the UK, learn English, and find work, will enable rapid self-sufficiency and social integration in UK communities.

The Government is working closely with local authorities to secure permanent accommodation for families and ensure families are moved into these homes as soon as they become available.

All those brought to the UK under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme will be provided with essential living items whilst accommodated in bridging hotels.

They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. A package of support to acclimatise to the UK, learn English, and find work, will enable rapid self-sufficiency and social integration in UK communities.

The Government is working closely with local authorities to secure permanent accommodation for families and ensure families are moved into these homes as soon as they become available.

Our police have continued to dedicate themselves to protecting the public during the pandemic. We recognise that this has been a hugely challenging time for them and looking after their mental health and overall wellbeing is a priority for this Government as we deliver the aims of the Police Covenant.

In addition to my previous answer to your question of 24 March, the National Police Wellbeing Service, funded by the Home Office, undertook the annual national police wellbeing survey for 2020-21 with Durham University. The survey was conducted during the pandemic and adapted to include a question set to give an indication of the impact on officers and staff. Over 22,000 responses were received from police officers and staff. The main findings, published on 6 July, show that whilst some factors influencing overall wellbeing have improved, others remain a concern.

The results of the survey are enabling the wellbeing service to prioritise work at a national level, for example, continuing the rollout of the Emergency Services Trauma Intervention Programme. The findings of this survey are also included in the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Covid-19 workforce recovery plan.

This Government is absolutely committed to tackling and preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG). That is why the Home Secretary commissioned HM Inspectorate of Police and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to carry out an inspection into the police response to these crimes.

We are considering the report’s recommendations and have already supported the recommendation from HMICFRS’s interim report to introduce a full-time national police lead for VAWG, which the Home Office is funding. We look forward to working with DCC Maggie Blyth, who has been appointed to the role, to address the report’s findings and further support our wider work on VAWG, including our Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, which we published in July.

There is a high level of cooperation on border security between both the UK and Irish Governments to ensure we are taking all the necessary measures to protect and secure the Common Travel Area, this includes people travelling from Ireland to the UK.

The Home Office, Ireland’s Garda National Immigration Bureau and Border Management Unit, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other police forces work together to tackle abuse of the CTA by conducting intelligence-led checks and enforcement operations.

We continue to take a whole route approach in pursuing the crime groups who facilitate people smuggling to the UK and who exploit vulnerable migrants, knowingly putting people in life-threatening situations.

The Government has worked at pace to develop and launch the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which will provide a safe and legal route for up to 20,000 Afghans in the region over the coming years, with 5,000 in the first year –one of the most generous schemes in British history.

On Monday 13 September the Government published a policy statement which set out further details on the policy and operation of the ACRS, and the package of integration support that will be offered to those arriving through the Scheme.

This statement confirmed that the ACRS will provide those put at risk by recent events in Afghanistan with a route to safety. This will include prioritising vulnerable people such women and girls, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+).

Further details on the scheme are published on the ACRS webpage: Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

There are no plans to suspend the requirement for biometrics from Afghan nationals ineligible under Operation Pitting trying to join British citizens or settled persons in the UK and family members of refugees already in the UK.

This was set out in paragraphs 40 and 41 of the Afghanistan resettlement and immigration policy statement published on 13 September.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version

Biometrics underpin the UK’s immigration system to support identity assurance and suitability checks on foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control. They enable us to conduct comprehensive checks against immigration and criminality records to prevent leave being granted to those who pose a harm to national security or are likely to breach our laws.

Ministers and officials have met regularly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in recent weeks to discuss the international response to the situation in Afghanistan, including the establishment of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).

The Government will continue to work closely with the UNHCR in the development of the ACRS and in the operation of our other resettlement schemes.

Details of the type of leave to be granted to those arriving from Afghanistan, and how they will be supported in obtaining that leave, can be found in the Afghanistan Resettlement and Immigration policy statement.

The Home Office has established a dedicated caseworking team, which is working jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence. This team will contact all those who recently arrived to discuss their leave arrangements and ensure they get the right form of leave.

Those who are here with limited leave under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy can apply to convert this to indefinite leave to remain at any time before their limited leave expires.

The policy statement can be viewed here: Afghanistan resettlement and immigration policy statement - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Details of the type of leave to be granted to those arriving from Afghanistan, and how they will be supported in obtaining that leave, can be found in the Afghanistan Resettlement and Immigration policy statement.

The Home Office has established a dedicated caseworking team, which is working jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence. This team will contact all those who recently arrived to discuss their leave arrangements and ensure they get the right form of leave.

Those who are here with limited leave under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy can apply to convert this to indefinite leave to remain at any time before their limited leave expires.

The policy statement can be viewed here: Afghanistan resettlement and immigration policy statement - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)