Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy 2025-06-05

Opened the debate

It is a privilege to rise to move this Adjournment debate about applications to the Afghan relocations and assistance policy, which has come to be known as the ARAP scheme. I intend to raise a deeply troubling case that highlights serious and systemic failings in the operation of ARAP... (Full speech covering the moral obligation towards Afghans who supported UK forces, bureaucratic delays, narrow eligibility criteria, broken promises, and a specific case where an individual's application was rejected despite overwhelming evidence of his contributions to UK security objectives.)

Government Response

While no specific ministerial response is provided in this excerpt, the debate concludes with a call for reconsideration of the ARAP scheme's implementation to ensure those who supported UK forces during operations in Afghanistan are protected. Luke Pollard thanked Sir Iain Duncan Smith for raising the issue and acknowledged his advocacy. He noted that decisions are made against published criteria, which he believes to be the most generous in comparison to other allied nations. However, he recognised the need to address exceptional cases like this one and is willing to explore additional opportunities to provide support. The Minister emphasised the importance of making decisions correctly according to the eligibility criteria set by the previous government, while also highlighting efforts made for the Triples, a specific group within ARAP. He reassured that individuals have access to reviews and expedited decisions if their life safety is threatened. The Minister acknowledged the concerns raised by the right hon. Gentleman and emphasised that phase 1 of the Triples review has achieved an overturn rate of around 30%, with a written ministerial statement published last month providing full details. The record-keeping during the period in question was not adequate, leading to an examination of top-up payments as part of phase 2, which aims to re-examine eligibility criteria based on relationships created through these payments. The Minister expressed his deep commitment to honouring obligations towards those who served alongside UK forces and clarified that the ARAP scheme is designed to support individuals with a close connection to UK forces, often defined by contractual or payment relationships. Concerns regarding understanding of the application process were addressed with plans to introduce new communications from autumn onwards to help applicants understand their case progress better. The Minister also mentioned performance indicators set for September aimed at helping people rate the Ministry of Defence's performance. He reiterated the government's objective to complete the Afghan resettlement scheme obligations and bring them to a close.