LONDON: A UK government program for the urgent relocation of Afghan refugees has resettled only 22 Afghans, including eight children, the Guardian reported on Thursday.
In January 2022, the government launched the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme to help those forced to flee Afghanistan, many of whom assisted British authorities in Kabul before the Taliban takeover in August 2021. It promised to take up to 20,000 people and resettle 5,000 in Britain within its first year of operation.
“We will never forget the brave sacrifice made by Afghans who chose to work with us at great risk to themselves,” Boris Johnson, the prime minister at the time, said.
However, the number of Afghans making it to the UK through official channels is lower than anticipated.
Under pathway two of the scheme, only 22 people have been resettled after being referred by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Guardian reported.
The pathway is the only available route for Afghans who are not already in the UK for resettlement. Pathway one is open only for those who were notified by the government that they could relocate to the UK but were unable to board a flight.
One refugee charity told the newspaper that the lack of a viable operational route to the UK was forcing desperate Afghans to make dangerous crossings via the Channel.
The number of Afghan nationals arriving in the UK on small boats increased sixfold last year to 8,633. Afghans have recently overtaken Albanians as the most common nationality to undertake the voyage.
“The fact that the number of Afghans coming across the Channel increased sixfold, but only 22 arrived on the Afghan resettlement scheme, shows how the government needs to urgently rethink its approach and expand access to refugee visas,” Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomon told the Guardian.
“We need an asylum system that isn’t just about control but also about compassion and competence,” he added.
The Home Office said about 24,500 vulnerable people were brought to safety from Afghanistan, including British nationals, their families and Afghans who served in the UK.
“Supporting the resettlement of eligible Afghans remains a top priority,” a Home Office spokesperson said.
“We have so far welcomed over 7,600 arrivals under ACRS, including those who were evacuated, as well as those (who were) called forward during the evacuation of Afghanistan but were unable to travel and Afghan families who have been referred to the UK by the UNHCR,” they added.
