John Baron MP secures meeting with Ministers on Afghan scheme

MP raises with Government British Council employees still in Afghanistan

During Defence Questions in the House of Commons this afternoon, John Baron MP raised the plight of Afghans who worked with the British Council and who are eligible for evacuation via the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, but are still unable to leave Afghanistan. Some of these people are being actively hunted by the Taliban.

In the Chamber, John asked,

“I know the Defence Secretary is straining every sinew, but I fear the bureaucracy is slowing the ARAP scheme down. I understand there are 200 Afghans who have worked with the British Council who are therefore eligible for the ARAP scheme, and yet live in fear of their lives in Afghanistan. One such recently sent me an e-mail: ‘we are now being hunted by the Taliban. We are in hiding, and we have run out of money. We are in very real danger and in fear of our lives’. What more can the Government do to help these people?”

The Defence Secretary said the Government is working hard, but perhaps a meeting with all Departments involved would be a good idea. He will seek to arrange this.

John said afterwards,

“As Chairman of the British Council All-Party Parliamentary Group, I look forward to this forthcoming meeting where I will be raising the plight of these British Council workers. The British Council is offering every support, but the system is slow to provide the necessary documents to leave the country. Britain owes it to these people to get them out of danger and into the safety of life in the UK.”