Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to (a) identify eligible applicants of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme still within Afghanistan who meet the criteria for vulnerable minorities and (b) provide that information to the Foreign Office to assist in the implementation of the Scheme.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) has been designed to support those who have assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for UK values, as well as vulnerable people, including members of minority groups at risk.

Under Pathway 3, in the first year, places are being offered to eligible at-risk British Council contractors, GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni in Afghanistan or the region, and their dependents.

The FCDO is working hard across Government to progress referrals under Pathway 3. They received over 11,400 expressions of interest, which they have been assessing against the eligibility criteria. Any offer of resettlement will be subject to security screening and provision of biometric information.

The FCDO are notifying those who have completed initial security checks and providing advice on next steps. Some eligible individuals and their families have already arrived in third countries, where they are offered accommodation and support from the International Organisation for Migration. We look forward to welcoming the first arrivals to the UK under Pathway 3 as soon as practicable.

Further details on the eligibility criteria for the ACRS and how vulnerability is taken into consideration has been set out in the policy statement:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.