Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy 2023-09-11
2023-09-11
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Concern about support for Afghan nationals eligible for the ARAP scheme.
What steps is he taking to help support Afghan nationals eligible for resettlement under the Afghan relocations and assistance policy scheme?
The Ministry of Defence's priority remains the relocation of ARAP-eligible Afghans to third countries at best pace. His Majesty's Government continue to accommodate and support them in third countries while they await relocation to the United Kingdom.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific steps being taken or timeline for support.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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A constituent's brother, who worked for the Special Air Service in Helmand province, was rejected by the ARAP scheme.
I am proud to have an Afghan interpreter as a constituent, but I was ashamed to learn from him that his brother, who worked for six years directly for the SAS in Helmand province, had applied under the ARAP scheme and been rejected without a proper explanation. He is now in hiding in Afghanistan. Will the Minister take up that case as a matter of urgency, and will he explain to the House why his Government are still failing to support those Afghans who risked so much to support our armed forces?
The hon. Lady mentions a specific role about which it would be inappropriate to speculate on the Floor of the House. I will, however, look at the particular case that she mentions. The ARAP scheme was intended for those who had been in direct support of the UK military—interpreters, most often—and, beyond that, there is a very narrow opportunity for those with special circumstances.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not explain rejections or take up case as requested.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
Concern about homeless former Afghan military personnel in the UK and Pakistan.
There is a deep sense of injustice among former serving officers and other military personnel that we have forgotten the moral obligation to Afghan military personnel and others who served alongside us. Will the Minister confirm just how many Afghan former military personnel are currently presenting as homeless in the UK, and how many are currently in hotels in Pakistan?
It seems that my initial reply might have been quite useful, but the hon. Gentleman may not have heard or understood it. ARAP is not explicitly for those who served in the Afghan armed forces alongside the British military; it is for those who served in the employ of the British military.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide numbers of homeless personnel.
Response accuracy
Q4
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Worries about problems and delays in the ARAP scheme.
In 2021, I held a public meeting shortly after the evacuation from Afghanistan. It was widely attended by worried and distressed residents, who all wanted help for their relatives' desperate situations in Afghanistan. Over two years have passed, and there are huge problems with ARAP. Can the Minister say why the Government are allowing people and their relatives to suffer for so long?
There is a known number of people who worked in the employ of the British military during our campaign in Afghanistan. Our priority has been to work through and match the lists of people we know have worked for us with those who are applicants. It is my understanding that only about 2,000 applications are outstanding.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not address reasons for suffering or delays in ARAP scheme.
Response accuracy
Q5
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Context
Concern about applicants still being kicked out of hotels in the UK or applying from hiding.
I return to the question raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Warwick and Leamington: how many applicants are still being kicked out of hotels in the UK, and how many are applying from Pakistan and in hiding?
The Member for Warwick and Leamington (Matt Western) asked a very particular question about Afghan service personnel, as the record will show. I answered it, but I will need to go away and confirm, because that is not something that ARAP is intended to meet.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide numbers of applicants removed or applying from Pakistan.
Response accuracy
Q6
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Context
Concern about Afghans still in hotels two years after evacuation.
It is hardly in the spirit of Operation Warm Welcome that, as the second anniversary of the evacuation of Kabul passed, Afghans who supported our armed forces were still left crowded into hotels at the taxpayer's expense, or expected to move hundreds of miles from where they have managed to find employment and their children have settled into schools. When does the Minister now expect all Afghans in the schemes to be moved out of hotels and given suitable offers of accommodation?
I actually agree with the hon. Lady—her question stands in contrast with the previous one, because it was about the need to get people out of hotels, not suggesting that they should somehow be staying in them. The Minister for Veterans' Affairs has been leading on this task around Government.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide a specific timeline for moving Afghans out of hotels.
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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The question concerns the eligibility database for veterans who served with British forces in Afghanistan and whether the support scheme will be closed while some individuals are still hiding in Afghanistan.
I commend to the Defence team a new book about the debt owed to people who supported our forces in Afghanistan. My specific concern is whether we have a proper database of all those eligible under the veterans' support scheme and whether this scheme can remain open for those still in hiding in Afghanistan unable to apply.
The military has consolidated different lists into an authoritative one of those who served with British forces. We have very good records and focus on informing eligible individuals quickly, keeping the scheme open for as long as needed to find all eligible veterans.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide a direct commitment that the scheme will remain open while some veterans are still in hiding in Afghanistan.
Response accuracy
Q8
Partial Answer
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The question concerns six families and 40 individuals still in temporary accommodation after arriving from Afghanistan, needing support to transition into permanent housing and employment.
I thank the Minister for his remarks. I acknowledge Colchester City Council and Essex County Council's efforts in supporting Afghan nationals since last autumn. However, we have six families and 40 individuals in temporary accommodation who need continued support. Can you give assurances about cross-Government work to ensure these families transition out of hotels into permanent housing, particularly the Department's efforts on employment support?
I can assure my right hon. Friend that we will support Afghans while they are in hotels, and once settled in permanent accommodation, we will help them into employment. The Minister for Veterans' Affairs will brief her on his work in this matter.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide a specific timeline or detailed plan for the transition out of temporary accommodation and into employment.
Response accuracy