UK PM Boris Johnson Shares Details of UK Resettlement Scheme for Afghans

The Boris Johnson stood before the House of Commons parliamentarians on Monday to address Britain’s handling of the crisis in Afghanistan. He reiterated the government’s commitment to helping Afghans who worked for the British, and said that the UK is working with partners in the region to try to secure them safe passage out of Afghanistan.

The UK’s Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme (ACRS) is expected to provide protection for Afghan citizens identified as most at risk, such as women and girls. 

London agreed to take around 5,000 people in the first year and 20,000 over the coming years. 

During the parliamentary session on Monday, Johnson said that the UK resettlement will include Afghans who contributed to civil society or face a particular risk from the Taliban, and they will receive 5 year visa.

The UK government is working “urgently to get the Afghanistan citizens’ resettlement scheme up and running”, but there hasn’t yet been an official launch of the ACRS.  

Liz Saville Roberts, the Plaid Cymru leader at Westminster, said that if Johnson wanted to show a warm welcome to refugees, the government should withdraw the Nationality and Borders Bill, which makes arriving in the UK without permission a criminal offence. 

Johnson didn't accept the suggestion, saying that the UK has offered a safe and legal route for thousands of Afghans to come to the UK.

The UK launched the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) in 2021, under which any current or former Locally Employed Staff (LES) directly employed by HMG in Afghanistan assessed to be at serious risk of threat to life will be eligible to apply for ARAP regardless of their employment status, rank or role, or length of time served.

"Given the security situation in Kabul, LES who meet the eligibility criteria for relocation under the ARAP scheme will have the opportunity to apply for limited leave to enter the UK under the Immigration Rules (HC 395). Successful applicants will receive a UK visa, which grants 5 years Leave to Enter the UK, with an opportunity in the future to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK at the end of that 5-year period. Eligible LES will be able to bring certain family members with them to the UK. The details of which family members can be brought with eligible LES are set out in the Immigration Rules (HC 395)," the Ministry of Defence said. 

The PM and the Foreign Minister Dominic Raab have faced criticism over the government's handling of the evacuation of the British forces from Afghanistan after the takeover of the country by the Taliban*. More than 15,000 people were airlifted by the UK from Afghanistan’s, capital, Kabul, since 14 August. However, around 1,100 Afghans deemed eligible to leave are feared to have been left stranded.

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan's capital Kabul on 15 August and announced the end of the decades-long war. The organisation is expected to announce members of the new government in the coming days.

*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia.