It comes as the Taliban and Western allies mark the first anniversary of NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. General Sir John McColl, who served in Afghanistan as the first head of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan, told BBC Radio 4’s World at One that Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and other ministers should to “hang their heads in shame.” . The initial evacuation of Afghans from Britain was “accidental” and at times dogs were prioritized over people, he said, adding: “The system was broken when we pulled out of Kabul last year and it remains broken. It was a source of shame then and continues to be a source of shame.” Around 6,200 people – including around 1,200 ‘managers’ who used to work for the UK, and typically four to five members of their families – are currently considered eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (Arap), one of the two government programs. The figure includes some still in Afghanistan and others who have made it, most often to Pakistan, although Afghans have also tried to cross the border into Iran, where the strained relationship between Britain and the regime in Tehran has complicated the ability to help people. The Arap scheme has brought more than 10,100 eligible Afghans to the UK, while another, the Afghan National Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), will allow up to 20,000 to settle in Britain. However, there has been strong criticism that the UK has effectively abandoned many Afghans to prosecution and execution under the Taliban for the crime of collaborating with British forces and officials. In a parliamentary briefing earlier this month, nine expert groups on Afghanistan criticized the UK government’s resettlement programs as “unduly restrictive”. They said it is deeply troubling that the government is not currently providing safe passage for many Afghan women and girls or oppressed minority groups. Sources in the Foreign Office said on Monday that around 1,050 people transported from Afghanistan under Arap are currently in hotels in Pakistan, awaiting processing and transfer to the UK or another destination. But there is frustration with other parts of the government and beyond that many Afghans brought to the UK end up, as one powerful source put it, “stuck in hotels”. MoD sources accused other parts of Whitehall of “struggling” to know what to do and failing to put proper plans in place. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. On the first anniversary of the fall of Kabul, the UK government is still providing hotel accommodation to 9,500 Afghans who sought refuge in the UK, with just 7,000 re-housed. However, thousands of Afghan refugees have been told by the Home Office to look for new accommodation on Rightmove or Zoopla. A Home Office spokesman said the UK would take in up to 20,000 people in need through the Afghan Resettlement Scheme. “We are already proud that this country has provided homes to more than 7,000 Afghan IDPs, but there is a lack of local housing for all,” he added. “While hotels do not provide a long-term solution, they do offer safe, secure and clean accommodation. We will continue to reduce the number of people in bridge hotels by moving people into more sustainable accommodation as soon as possible.” The Home Office has said local authorities receive £20,520 per person over a three-year period to support the resettlement of displaced Afghan families and have flexibility to use the funding in different ways.
