Refugees: Afghanistan

(asked on 20th September 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people evacuated from Afghanistan as part of Operation Pitting were (a) British nationals, (b) Afghan nationals evacuated as part of the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and (c) Afghan nationals now subject to the Afghan citizens' resettlement scheme.


Answered by
Victoria Atkins Portrait
Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This question was answered on 30th September 2021

The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not yet open We are working through how many of those who were unable to board flights will be offered a place under the ACRS. More details, as soon as they are available, will be published on the GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme

Between 15 and 29 August, the Department evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. That includes over 8,000 British nationals, along with their dependants; and 5,000 Afghans who loyally served the UK, along with their dependants; and around 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women’s rights, judges and many others.

As the Government has announced, Afghans who have arrived under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme will be given indefinite leave to remain and others who arrived and are moving onto the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will also be given ILR; we are working through individuals on a case by case basis.

Reticulating Splines