Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of expressly adding musicians to the list of vulnerable Afghans eligible for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) opened on 6th January and will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.

The ACRS will prioritise those who have assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for UK values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech and rule of law; and vulnerable people such as women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups (including ethnic / religious minorities and LGBT+).

No specific provision has been made for musicians, although they could otherwise be eligible through one of the referral pathways.