Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2023 to Question 175503 on Home Office: Departmental Responsibilities, when the Minister for Immigration assumed responsibility for the resettlement of the (a) Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and (b) Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy personnel and their families.

The Home Office has been responsible for the resettlement of ARAP-eligible Afghans to the UK since the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme began. The Afghan Citizen's Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is a separate scheme and is a Home Office lead.

The delivery of Afghan relocation and resettlement under ARAP is a cross-HMG priority with several Departments playing a key role. The Ministry of Defence is responsible for supporting the movement of eligible persons out of Afghanistan and into third countries, assessing eligibility of applications under ARAP, and referring eligible persons with a defence connection to charitable partners for Operation NEWHOPE support.