Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan armed forces soldiers were evacuated from Afghanistan to the UK since the start of Operation Pitting on 13 August 2021.

Throughout the 14 days of Operation Pitting, over 100 RAF flights relocated many thousands of people to the UK, including Afghan nationals who were employed by Her Majesty's Government to work alongside UK forces in Afghanistan. These individuals and their families were eligible for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).

Regrettably, we were not able to evacuate all those we wanted to. We owe a debt of gratitude to all Afghan armed forces soldiers who put their lives at risk working alongside UK forces in Afghanistan, and recognise the threat they may now face from the Taliban due to their ties to the UK. For this reason, the Home Office is working quickly to establish the details of the Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). This scheme will provide protection for those identified as most at risk, such as women and girls. The Government has committed to take around 5,000 refugees in the first year and up to 20,000 over the coming years.