By Katie Wright BBC News
- Published
Afghans who worked for the British military and UK government will be able to move to the UK permanently, the Home Office has announced.
Those eligible will be given indefinite leave to remain, rather than the five years' residency previously offered.
The UK evacuated more than 8,000 people eligible for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy from 13 August.
But Labour said more needed to be done for the many Afghans whose lives were still at risk after being left behind.
British troops left Afghanistan over the weekend, bringing to an end the UK's 20-year military involvement in Afghanistan.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he couldn't give a "definitive" figure for the number of people eligible to come to the UK who remained in Afghanistan.
Announcing more details of its plan called Operation Warm Welcome, the Home Office said it wanted to ensure Afghans arriving in the UK received help to rebuild their lives.
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) is for former locally employed staff and their families whose lives had been assessed to be under serious threat from the Taliban.
The government said those who had already been relocated in the UK with temporary residency could now upgrade their immigration status, allowing them access to permanent jobs with unrestricted rights to work.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK owed an immense debt to those who worked with the armed forces in Afghanistan.
"I am determined that we give them and their families the support they need to rebuild their lives here in the UK," he said.
"I know this will be an incredibly daunting time, but I hope they will take heart from the wave of support and generosity already expressed by the British public."
'The happiest moment of my life'
Burhan Vesal said boarding a plane to the UK with his wife and son was the happiest moment of his life.
He worked as an interpreter for the British Army and took his family into hiding for fear the Taliban would kill them.
Mr Vesal said he had received permission to come to the UK a day before the Taliban seized control of the capital, Kabul.
He pleaded with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to help them to evacuate and set off to the airport not knowing if they would get in.
"There was loads of people, crowded area, so I just asked people, let me [through] because I have a child and let me to go a little bit near to the soldiers.
"When I arrived I have faced the soldiers, the British soldiers. I told them that I have a paper with me...so they help me."
Mr Vesal and his family were flown to the UK via Dubai. Now they are quarantining for 10 days.
More than 100 councils have come forward to help families find homes, the Home Office said, with more than 2,000 places confirmed.
The government has two schemes to resettle Afghans. It is still developing the other - the Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme - which will aim to take in up to 20,000 refugees over the coming years, with a focus on women and children, as well as religious and other minorities.
Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Home Affairs Committee, said there were still many people who helped the UK's work in Afghanistan, but who had not been evacuated and were now at serious risk from the Taliban.
"We have a responsibility towards them, yet many are in limbo now because the evacuations have ended but the Resettlement Scheme has not yet started. I have asked the Home Office to confirm that the UK is still trying to help those families.
"There is a particular problem for those whose ARAP cases weren't processed in time, or who couldn't get safely to the airport, or who worked on contract on UK projects rather than being directly employed and whose lives are at risk. We must ensure that those who worked with or for the UK government have a route to safety."
The government's support as part of Operation Warm Welcome also includes:
- £12 million to help enrol children in schools, and provide other support for learning
- £3 million to the NHS so families access healthcare and register with a GP
- £5 million to support councils across the UK in providing housing support
- Funding for up to 300 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for Afghans at UK universities. Adults will also be able to access English language courses free of charge
- An online portal for members of the public to register offers of support, such as jobs, accommodation and donations of clothing and toys
Victoria Atkins, who has been appointed Afghan Resettlement minister, said it was a "huge effort" across government to make sure those fleeing Afghanistan were able to make a success of a new life in the UK.
"The stability of indefinite leave, the security of access to healthcare and the opportunity of education are the foundation upon which those resettled to the UK can build."
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