UK ‘preventing escape’ of Afghans promised sanctuary in Britain after ending evacuations
The UK Ministry of Defence has been criticized for allegedly hindering the escape of Afghans promised sanctuary in Britain. Eligible Afghans have been instructed to flee to a third country on their own, despite assurances that the UK would fulfill its obligations. This decision follows the closure of Afghan resettlement schemes and a significant data breach that jeopardized the safety of many applicants.
- ▪The Ministry of Defence has stopped evacuating eligible Afghan families, prompting accusations of preventing their escape.
- ▪Nearly 9,000 Afghans have been told they must make their own way to a third country for relocation support.
- ▪The Afghan resettlement schemes closed to new applicants in July last year, coinciding with a major data leak by the MoD.
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NewsUKHome NewsUK ‘preventing escape’ of Afghans promised sanctuary in Britain after ending evacuationsMinisters told nearly 9,000 Afghans eligible to come to the UK that they need to flee Afghanistan themselvesHolly Bancroft Home Affairs Correspondent Tuesday 19 May 2026 17:40 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2979512","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/afghans-evacuation-support-ministry-defence-b2979512.html","title":"UK accused of ‘preventing escape’ of Afghans promised sanctuary in Britain "}}Inside the £7bn…
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