Exempt Afghans who served in British forces from Rwanda plan, says military

The military’s top brass are demanding an exemption from the Rwanda scheme for Afghans who served with British forces.

Three former Chiefs of the Defence Staff as well as a former Chief of the General Staff and a former Chief of the Naval Staff have warned the Prime Minister that failure to do this would be a “dereliction of our moral duty”.

It comes as Rishi Sunak’s Safety of Rwanda Bill, which will send some asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda to have their claims processed, returns to the Commons on Monday after a series of defeats in the Lords.

After a further round of parliamentary ping-pong between MPs and peers, it could pass by the end of this week, paving the way for the first flights.

In a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, the group of 13 senior military figures warn that “any brave men and women who have fought alongside our armed forces or served the UK Government overseas” must be exempt from removal to Rwanda.

They warn that if this is not granted, it will do “grave damage to our ability to recruit local allies in future military operations”.

They explain that they have “seen first-hand the enormous courage and dedication shown by those who have fought alongside our Armed Forces and served British interests abroad, often at huge personal risk, and we take personally Britain’s obligation to honour the debt we owe to that cohort”.

The letter has been signed by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Craig of Radley, Gen Lord Richards of Herstmonceux and Gen Lord Houghton of Richmond – all of whom are former Chiefs of the Defence Staff.

It also counts Lord Robertson, former Secretary General of Nato and Gen Sir John McColl, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, among its signatories.

The letter attacks the Government over its handling of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy – known as the ARAP scheme – which it says has been “mired by mismanagement” since its launch in April 2021.

The scheme supports Afghans and their families who worked for, or with, the UK government and Armed Forces in Afghanistan.

Last year the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was forced to apologise “unreservedly” for asking Afghans to get their documents approved by the Taliban in order to seek asylum in the UK.

Applicants to the ARAP scheme, had been asked by UK officials to have their certificates stamped by the Afghan government – the very people they are trying to escape.

And earlier this year, the MoD was forced into a U-turn over the issue of giving hundreds of Afghan special forces soldiers sanctuary in the UK, with the then Armed Forces minister acknowledging that earlier decisions for rejecting some applications to the ARAP scheme were “not robust”.

In February it was announced that some 400 soldiers who served in two specialist units will have their applications to settle in the UK reviewed after the MoD said it would change how it assesses their claims.

The soldiers have been subjected to torture and murder at the hands of the Taliban after being denied help by the UK Government, despite extensive evidence showing they were paid, trained and worked “shoulder to shoulder” with British special forces.

‘Lifeline for brave Afghans’

The letter from military top brass explains that the Arap scheme was “intended to be a lifeline for brave Afghans who worked alongside UK forces but there is a huge backlog of applications”.

It explains that as a result, some Afghans who worked alongside our Armed Forces have been forced to flee along with their families.

“It is essential that those who have made it to British shores are not unduly punished by being removed to Rwanda when the Government’s scheme is up and running,” the letter concludes.

Its signatories urge the Prime Minister to accept an amendment tabled to the Safety of Rwanda Bill by Lord Browne, a former defence secretary, which would see “agents, allies and employees” of the UK overseas exempt from being sent to Rwanda.

The amendment, which has cross-party support, says that the exemption should include those eligible for entry to the UK under the ARAP scheme, as well as their families.

A government spokesman said that the Arap scheme is “one of the most generous of any country”.

They added: “We are proud to have relocated over 16,100 people to safety in the UK through the scheme so far, including over 3,000 since October 2023 alone.

“There are safe and legal routes for people to come to the UK and since 2015, over half a million people have accessed these schemes and been relocated here.

“Stopping the boats is a priority for this government and we are fully focused on passing our Rwanda Bill through Parliament and putting plans in place to get flights off the ground.”