John Baron MP raises British Council contractors at PMQs

MP: Looks forward to Prime Minister’s input

Today at Prime Minister’s Questions, John Baron MP asked,

“The Prime Minister will recall that I have previously raised the plight of the roughly 170 British Council contractors who remain in Afghanistan in fear of their lives – of whom 85 are assessed to be at ‘very high risk’. I had a positive meeting with the Refugee Minister last week, but we are still facing red tape preventing the FCDO from assisting these people now via the ACRS scheme. Can the Prime Minister help us cut through this bureaucracy so we can fulfil our obligations as time is running out?”

The Prime Minister said that he would see what he could do to help, and noted that many thousands of Afghans have been helped to the UK.

John said afterwards,

“British Council contractors are still in Afghanistan because of bureaucratic blockages here in Britain – some if not most are hunted by the Taliban. Many of these people and their families are in constant danger. The Prime Minister needs to sort this out and I will certainly be taking this further.”