Immigration: Afghanistan

(asked on 7th September 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many calls have been made to the helpline for non-British nationals in need of assistance in Afghanistan as of 7 September 2021; what the average wait time has been for calls to be answered to that helpline; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of her Department making that helpline free to call.


Answered by
Victoria Atkins Portrait
Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This question was answered on 16th September 2021

From 20 August 2021 to 7 September 2021 there have been 5,357,322 calls made (offered) to the helpline. The Home Office brought in 250 extra staff to help ensure average waiting times were kept to a minimum.

The telephone number (02475 389 980) is a geographical number therefore call charges vary depending on the phone provider and whether a landline or mobile is used to make the call. Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/call-charges

When setting up the helpline the primarily focus was to ensure it was easily accessible for those calling from the UK and abroad – A freephone option would not have provided that accessibility.

The department continues to closely monitor and review the volume of calls being made to the helpline; as the volumes have significantly reduced over this period there is currently no scope to move the helpline to a freephone number however this decision will remain under review.

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