Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's Afghanistan resettlement and immigration policy statement, published on 13 September 2021, what the UKVI's timeframe is for contacting recent arrivals as part of the ARAP Scheme or Afghan Locally Employed Staff Scheme in respect of their leave arrangements.

Following the policy statement the Government published on 13 September, we are working through the cases of those who have recently arrived from Afghanistan and will be processing them in line with the published policy. No one will be required to leave the United Kingdom, or be disadvantaged in any way, while we work through their cases.

We issued new guidelines that mean former locally employed staff (LES) under the ARAP scheme who meet the requirements for entry clearance will be issued with indefinite leave to enter. Relevant Afghan citizens already in the UK with limited leave can apply for indefinite leave to remain at any time.