Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) principals with confirmation of their eligibility for relocation to the UK under the ARAP scheme made before the end of Operation PITTING remain in Afghanistan as of 2 June 2023.
Answered by James Heappey
As of 5 June 2023, our records show four Afghans confirmed eligible prior to the end of Op Pitting remain in Afghanistan. We are actively supporting the relocation of those wishing to relocate to the UK.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme were rejected by his Department in each month since April 2021.
Answered by James Heappey
As of 31 May 2023, 28,790 ARAP applications have been rejected by the Ministry of Defence. A monthly breakdown is available below.
A finite number of Afghans are eligible for ARAP. Based on HMG records, we estimate there are approximately 378 Afghans eligible for ARAP remaining in Afghanistan. It is important that every applicant to the scheme receives a response, but we know the vast majority of applications are speculative and likely ineligible, so our priority is finding and supporting the relocation of eligible Afghans and their families out of Afghanistan and into the safety of third countries at best pace.
Month | Not eligible decisions |
April 2021 | 0 |
May 2021 | 1 |
June 2021 | 18 |
July 2021 | 210 |
August 2021 | 37 |
September 2021 | 1 |
October 2021 | 0 |
November 2021 | 2 |
December 2021 | 1 |
January 2022 | 6 |
February 2022 | 136 |
March 2022 | 274 |
April 2022 | 40 |
May 2022 | 29 |
June 2022 | 189 |
July 2022 | 1,030 |
August 2022 | 1,634 |
September 2022 | 1,677 |
October 2022 | 2,028 |
November 2022 | 2,521 |
December 2022 | 2,140 |
January 2023 | 2,831 |
February 2023 | 3,233 |
March 2023 | 3,935 |
April 2023 | 2,197 |
May 2023 | 4,620 |
TOTAL | 28,790 |
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of how many (a) principals and (b) dependents who are potentially eligible for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme are in Afghanistan .
Answered by James Heappey
We estimate that 378 principal applicants and approximately 1,512 family members remain in Afghanistan.
This figure is reducing as we continue to support the relocation of eligible Afghans and their families out of Afghanistan and into the safety of third countries at best pace.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme are waiting to be processed by his Department.
Answered by James Heappey
As of 30 May 2023, 60,280 applications were awaiting an initial eligibility decision.
The Ministry of Defence continues to process ARAP applications at pace, and in May we processed and issued decisions on more applications than in any month previously. We aim to process all outstanding initial applications by August 2023.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy applications were awaiting an initial decision by his Department as of 30 May 2023.
Answered by James Heappey
As of 30 May 2023, 60,280 applications were awaiting an initial eligibility decision.
The Ministry of Defence continues to process ARAP applications at pace, and in May we processed and issued decisions on more applications than in any month previously. We aim to process all outstanding initial applications by August 2023.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many ARAP-eligible (a) principals and (b) family members have arrived in the UK in each of the last six months.
Answered by James Heappey
The total number of Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) eligible principals and family members relocated to the UK under the ARAP scheme since December 2022 is included in the table below.
It is important that the Government takes steps to ensure that when Afghans are relocated under the ARAP scheme that necessary support mechanisms are in place and they move into appropriate, settled accommodation to set them up for a successful life here in the UK.
Month | Principals | Family members |
Dec -2022 | 1 | 0 |
Jan - 2023 | 7 | 24 |
Feb - 2023 | 5 | 19 |
Mar - 2023 | 2 | 0 |
Apr - 2023 | 0 | 3 |
May - 2023 | 0 | 3 |
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF flights to evacuate principals eligible for resettlement under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and their families left Pakistan in each month since November 2022.
Answered by James Heappey
Since December 2022, as and when relocation to the UK has become possible for individuals or families, we use commercial flights, rather than RAF or charter flights, to bring individuals to the UK. Hence, no RAF Voyager or commercial flights have flown from Pakistan to the UK between December 2022 and March 2023.
Month | Total RAF flights departed Pakistan organised by MOD |
Nov 2022 | 2 |
Dec 2022 | 0 |
Jan 2023 | 0 |
Feb 2023 | 0 |
Mar 2023 | 0 |
Apr 2023 | 0 |
May 2023 | 0 |
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2023 to Question 174212 on on Afghanistan: Refugees, if he will publish the data for (a) April 2023 (b) May 2023.
Answered by James Heappey
Since December 2022, as and when relocation to the UK has become possible for individuals or families, we use commercial flights, rather than RAF or charter flights, to bring individuals to the UK. Hence, no RAF Voyager or commercial flights have flown from Pakistan to the UK between December 2022 and March 2023.
Month | Total RAF flights departed Pakistan organised by MOD |
Nov 2022 | 2 |
Dec 2022 | 0 |
Jan 2023 | 0 |
Feb 2023 | 0 |
Mar 2023 | 0 |
Apr 2023 | 0 |
May 2023 | 0 |
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway one principals resettled in the UK came through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme.
Answered by James Heappey
No Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) Principals have been resettled under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme (ARAP).
The ACRS and ARAP are different schemes administered separately. ACRS is a referrals-based scheme, of which Pathway One is administered by the Home Office. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is not involved in the administration of the ACRS. Applications to the ARAP scheme are processed by the MOD.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2023 to Question 180811 on Falkland Islands: Armed Conflict, whether sections of the records held on RFA Sir Galahad which do not relate directly to sections 40 and 41 can be released before 2065.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
All files which relate to the Board of Inquiry into the sinking of RFA Sir Galahad are already available to view at The National Archives (TNA) with the exception of those retained under Section 40 (Personal Information) and Section 41(information provided in confidence) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Files held at TNA are listed in the supporting table. An extract is also held by MOD and is withheld under Sections 40 and 41 of the FOI Act.