Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what urgent steps she is taking to issue Biometric Residence Permits to Afghan nationals in the UK with pending job offers.

Those who arrived in the UK were granted limited leave to enter with access to public funds and employment. Communications have been issued advising individuals of next steps to progress permanent residence in the UK. Amongst the information provided, those communications confirm individuals’ rights to employment on their current leave. We have made arrangements to ensure prospective employers and landlords can contact the Home Office to confirm individuals’ right to take employment and rented accommodation prior to them receiving a Biometric Residence Permit.

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 those here in the UK under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and those moving onto the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, in order to assist them to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain status.