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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
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.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has indefinitely retained any documents related to (a) the Falklands War and (b) the attack on RFA Sir Galahad which are deemed to be of a nature that would be prejudicial to national security, defence or international relations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
All records are reviewed as part of the Public Records Act (PRA) and may be retained for a variety of reasons.
I can confirm that records relating to the Falklands conflict have been retained under Section 26 (National Defence) and Section 27 (international relations).
The records concerning RFA Sir Galahad have been reviewed under both the PRA and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and retained under Sections 40 (Personal Information) and 41 (Information Provided in Confidence) until the year 2065.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many have people who (a) applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme category 4 and (b) whose application for the scheme under this category was subsequently rejected hold information the disclosure of which would give rise to or aggravate a specific threat to the UK Government or its interests.
Answered by James Heappey
The data requested is not available.
Applicants to the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy scheme do not apply for specific categories. As such, all applications are considered against each category before a decision is made. The role the applicant played in support of HMG objectives in Afghanistan is fully assessed as part of the decision-making process.