UK plans to initiate special refugee flights to evacuate Afghan nationals from Pakistan

Afghan refugees seeking asylum abroad gather at an open field in protest to demand help from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in Islamabad on May 7, 2022. (AFP/File)

• Britain mainly wants to help Afghan nationals who collaborated with it before the 2021 Taliban returned to power
• Many of these people fled to neighboring countries to seek international refuge after the Taliban seized control of Kabul

KARACHI: Officials of the British High Commission have held a meeting with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to discuss the possibility of arranging special flights to facilitate the resettlement of Afghan immigrants in the United Kingdom, confirmed a senior aviation official on Wednesday.
A large number of Afghan nationals, who collaborated with the UK during the presence of the foreign forces in their country, fled to neighboring states to seek international refuge after the Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan two years ago.
Many of them are also stranded in Pakistan and currently await their relocation.
“A special delegation from the British High Commission, led by Political Consul Zoe Ware, held a meeting with senior officials of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority to discuss the arrangement of special flights for transporting Afghan immigrants for settlement in the UK,” PCAA spokesperson Saif Ullah told Arab News.
The meeting was attended by Air Commodore (r) Shahid Qadir, who led the PCAA team, as well as officials belonging to the Anti-Narcotic Forces, Federal Investigation Agency, Pakistan Customs, Airport Security Forces, and Pakistan International Airlines.
“The British government is thankful to Pakistan Civil Aviation for extending help with special flights for the transfer of Afghan immigrants to the UK,” a PCCA handout quoting the British political consul as saying.
According to the official data released by the UK authorities, about 24,600 people, who also include British nationals, successfully made their way to the United Kingdom by the end of March 2023.
Pakistan’s caretaker administration has given all “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghan nationals, to leave the country by November 1 or face expulsion.