MP: British Council APPG will continue to follow progress
This afternoon John led a Westminster Hall debate on the British Council contractors in Afghanistan. These are the roughly 200 Afghans who were contracted to work for the British Council, but who were ineligible under the Government evacuation schemes in operation at the time of the fall of Kabul. Since August 2021 they and their families have been living in fear of their lives as the Taliban try to hunt them down for ‘collaborating’ with the enemy. For more information, please see John’s article last month on this issue. He is chair of the British Council All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).
During the debate, John had four main questions:
- Could the Minister confirm that around half of the contractors have been informed that their applications under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) have been acknowledged and granted?
- What are FCDO Ministers doing to encourage governments in third countries to offer flexibility as to travel documents for those seeking to cross the border out of Afghanistan?
- When will the other contractors, who have not yet heard anything back from the Government, find out about their applications under ACRS?
- Will the Minister ensure that any distasteful talk of quotas will not prevent contractors and their families from seeking safety in the UK?
In response to these questions the Minister, Leo Docherty MP:
- Confirmed that half the contractors have had their applications granted.
- Said that the UK was in discussions with third countries, including Pakistan, about facilitating border transfers for those without travel documents.
- Announced that 47 contractors of the remaining 100 were recently contacted about their applications. The rest should hear soon.
- Said that quotas should be seen as a ‘measuring tool’ for the performance of the ACRS, not an upper limit.
John said afterwards,
“I thank the Minister for his helpful clarifications during the debate, and for being so generous in giving way. It is good news that there finally seems to be some movement for the contractors, and the British Council APPG will continue to follow progress until all of them, and their families, are safely in the UK.”
