The UK government's Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP), set up to aid those who worked with British forces, has been heavily criticized after rejecting a whopping 87% of applications by September 2021. These figures reveal an alarming gap between the policy's intentions and the needs of those endangered by their association with UK operations in Afghanistan.
Challenges in Eligibility and Implementation
Since its introduction in April 2021, ARAP received approximately 60,000 applications, of which over 52,000 were turned down. By late September, an additional 7,000 applications flooded in, with 6,800 cases still pending. The scheme primarily targets interpreters, military collaborators, and aid workers. However, a significant hurdle has been its narrow eligibility criteria, which notably exclude many contractors who played crucial roles in UK-funded projects. This exclusion primarily impacts those employed by firms like Adam Smith International (ASI), leaving them just as vulnerable despite their contributions.
Critics argue that such strict parameters have left many deserving individuals stranded in a hostile environment, risking persecution by the Taliban. The urgency of their situation was emphasized following the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, prompting the UK to launch a rapid evacuation effort. During this frantic period, around 15,000 individuals were airlifted to safety, including 5,000 Afghans who directly aided UK forces.
Efforts to Expand Support
In response to ongoing concerns, the UK government rolled out the Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) in January 2022. Designed to offer refuge to up to 20,000 individuals over four years, this initiative faced its own share of challenges. Critics honed in on its sluggish start and limited pathways for entry, which have left many qualified Afghans in dire situations.
Compounding these issues, the Department for Work and Pensions took steps to ease the transition for ARAP recipients by waiving residency requirements. This move was intended to allow immediate access to benefits like Universal Credit, aiming to provide some financial relief to those uprooted from their homes.
Public pressure on the government to enhance these programs has been immense, with over 200,000 correspondence related to these resettlement schemes landing at the desks of government officials. Out of these, 30,000 emails came from Members of Parliament themselves, signaling a broader concern for the lives left in the wake of hasty policy applications.
Despite these efforts and ongoing public scrutiny, thousands of at-risk Afghans remain within Afghanistan's borders, trapped under Taliban rule. Many have resorted to perilous and irregular routes in hopes of finding safety, illustrating the critical demand for more inclusive and efficient relocation measures.
