Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of suspending the requirement for biometrics for Afghan (a) nationals ineligible under Operation Pitting trying to join British citizens or settled persons in the UK and (b) family members of refugees already in the UK, given there is no currently option to provide biometrics in Afghanistan.

There are no plans to suspend the requirement for biometrics from Afghan nationals ineligible under Operation Pitting trying to join British citizens or settled persons in the UK and family members of refugees already in the UK.

This was set out in paragraphs 40 and 41 of the Afghanistan resettlement and immigration policy statement published on 13 September.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version

Biometrics underpin the UK’s immigration system to support identity assurance and suitability checks on foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control. They enable us to conduct comprehensive checks against immigration and criminality records to prevent leave being granted to those who pose a harm to national security or are likely to breach our laws.