Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy have been relocated to the UK in each month since August 2021.
The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) has been one of the most generous in the world, under which circa.1,300 Locally Employed Staff (LES) and others who supported the UK mission in Afghanistan have been relocated to the UK since April 2021, with a large proportion being evacuated on over 100 RAF flights as part of Operation PITTING.
We owe a debt of gratitude to all Afghan nationals who risked their lives working alongside UK forces. For this reason, the ARAP scheme is not time-limited and will endure, facilitating the relocation of eligible Afghans and their families, from third countries if possible.
As at 26 January 2022, the number of ARAP eligible principles relocated by month is shown in the table below:
April | 0 |
May | 1 |
June | 24 |
July | 188 |
August (inc Op PITTING) | 981 |
September | 19 |
October | 41 |
November | 81 |
December | 60 |
January | 84 |
Total | 1,479 |
As at 26 January 2022 the overall total of ARAP eligible people (principles and dependants) who have been relocated to the UK since April 2021 is:
Prior to Op PITTING | 1,978 |
During Op PITTING | Approximately 5,000 |
Since Op PITTING | 1,210 |