The government says it will look again at the cases of Afghan special forces who worked with the British but were not allowed to come to the UK.
James Heappey, the Minister in charge of the Armed Forces, said that applications from people who were not eligible would be looked at again if they had good reasons to say they were connected to special units in Afghanistan.
The “Triples” were special groups created and paid for by the UK.
However, many people were not allowed to move to a different place after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021.
Activists have been advocating for them since the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021. One person called the government’s decision a very important and life-changing day.
The ARAP program started in April 2021 to help Afghan people who worked closely with the UK government.
People who qualify can move to the UK with their partner, children who rely on them, and other family members who are eligible too, according to the program.
Last month, media said that over 200 ex-members of the Triples are in Pakistan and could be sent back. British soldiers gave them good reviews but didn’t keep track of them.
Mr Heappey said that after reviewing the ARAP criteria, they found some inconsistencies. They will take action to fix this.
He said a new team in the Ministry of Defence will review the cases again. The UK is thankful to the people who served in Afghanistan with or for the British forces.
‘Deceptive or not skilled’
Commando Force 333 and Afghan Territorial Force 444 were considered to be the best soldiers in the Afghan military.
The British started them during their 20-year mission in the country, working closely with UK special forces. Former high-ranking officers told BBC Newsnight that the British paid them for many years.
When the Taliban took control of Kabul, the Triples were one of the last Afghan groups still fighting. They also helped to keep British people safe as they left the city.
Some people were able to leave the country during the disorganized evacuation, but many people were not able to. They thought that because they had been with the British for a long time, they would automatically get help from the ARAP scheme. But many former Triples have gotten stuck in a process that is called “a big unfairness. ”
One person told the BBC that it was really awful.
“They were really sure they would be looked after, but it was really sad to have to hide and see their friends get killed, and not get any help or be turned away,” they said.
“We did not take care of these people like we were supposed to. We made a mistake. ” These choices were against the law. The MoD knew they were breaking the law but just tried to postpone dealing with it.
“They have been tricky. “
Gen Sir Richard Barrons, who was in the British Army in Afghanistan for more than 12 years, said it is shameful that the UK has not moved these soldiers. It shows that either we are not honest as a country or we are not capable.
Many important military, legal, political, and diplomatic people have been helping them for a long time. However, the government had not wanted to review their cases up until now.
Last month, the minister in charge of the military told the lawmakers that there was a problem with identification. Mr Heappey said it was difficult to check the work of those who served in the unit but not directly with UK personnel.
Former soldiers were very angry and said they tried to give references but were ignored.
‘Not everyone will succeed’
Thursday’s news was good for the people who wanted it, but the delay has caused some people to die. We don’t know the exact number, but there are a lot of reports about former soldiers being hurt or killed by the Taliban.
“We have lost some people already, not everyone will survive, but for those who do, this is the end of two and a half years of hiding. ” This is good news for them, because it has the chance to give them and their families a better life.
Heappey said it was difficult to figure out who was eligible because the government didn’t have all the information they needed.
He also said: “We appreciate the support and advocacy for ARAP from members, and we understand how much it means to people here and in other places. ” We feel strongly about this in the MoD and the government, and we will work fast to make it happen.
Despite the announcement on Thursday, supporters of the Triples who talked to the BBC still have questions about how quickly eligible people will be brought over and why it took the government so long to change a policy they see as a betrayal.