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At the age of 18, Habibullah* was filled with a sense of pride as he was selected to join Commando Force 333 (CF333), a prestigious Afghan combat unit established, prepared, and financed by the British. He later participated in important operations alongside British soldiers in the battle against the Taliban, serving until the fall of Kabul in August 2021.
Habibullah found himself unable to join a UK evacuation flight as the West’s withdrawal from Afghanistan descended into chaos. Fearing for his safety as the Taliban had knowledge of his location, he was forced to resort to paying smugglers to aid in his escape and eventually find sanctuary in the UK.
After three years since his daring getaway, he is a mere shadow of his former self. For the past eighteen months, he has been confined to a gloomy, cramped hotel room in Worcester, surviving on just £9 per week while awaiting a verdict on his application for asylum in the UK. In August of 2022, he braved the English Channel in a small boat, in the hopes of starting anew in the UK. “The most painful thing for me is that despite my close collaboration with British forces, I am being overlooked,” he expresses.
A 26-year-old individual, along with many other former Afghan commandos who were part of CF333 and ATF444 units, referred to as the Triples, have not been granted relocation to the UK. Despite being employed by the British and serving alongside UK soldiers, they have been denied the opportunity to move to the UK. Through collaboration with investigative news source Lighthouse Reports, The Independent has gathered evidence of multiple cases where ex-members of the Triples have faced violence, torture, or death at the hands of the Taliban due to the UK’s failure to relocate them.
Now, we can reveal that the abandonment of these Afghan commandos has driven a number of them to travel to the UK via dangerous and irregular routes – journeys the prime minister has vowed to bring an end to with his pledge to “stop the boats” – as they see this as their only option of finding safety.
Habibullah, who is shown on the left in the photo with Afghan special forces, later participated in important operations alongside British soldiers in the battle against the Taliban.
Habibullah, whose name has been changed to protect his family in Afghanistan, arrived in Britain following a year-long tumultuous journey from Iran through Europe which culminated in the crossing in a dinghy from France.
The trained sniper, who had been actively engaged in combat against the Taliban until the fall of Kabul, was well aware that he was considered their top enemy. However, upon receiving the devastating news of his close friend’s murder, who was also a member of the CF333 unit, he made the decision to leave Afghanistan.
He stated, “At the time I received the news, I was traveling between Afghanistan and Iran. I was discussing my plan to escape with my friend. He was attempting to persuade me to wait for the flights from Kabul, as there were still some available for evacuating people. We assumed that our British colleagues were aware of the danger we were in and would organize flights from the Kabul airport.”
“He advised me to wait for those flights, but I felt it was not worth the risk to stay any longer. He was at his brother-in-law’s house when he was killed by the Taliban. They must have been closely monitoring him.”
Habibullah stands in the background with his friend and colleague in the forefront, who was later assassinated by the Taliban.
A 29-year-old was fatally shot outside a residence by an assailant riding a motorcycle. Habibullah recounted the moment he learned of his friend’s death, stating: “Those of us who worked in these units always feared receiving news of a comrade being killed by the Taliban. When I heard the news, I was stunned and couldn’t believe it. I left numerous messages for him, hoping he would respond.”
“I waited for hours, hoping he would respond. Eventually, I came to terms with it when I saw photos of his deceased body.”
In the most recent photo of the two of them, they are taking a break from a run they had gone on. At the time, the Afghan government had collapsed and they were aware that their roles in the Afghan army would be permanently altered. Habibullah recalled, “We were reminiscing about those days as being good days. We had a feeling that this would be our final moment together like this. Little did I know, it would also be the last time I would see him.”
I came to the realization that we were constantly being monitored by the Taliban wherever we went, after his death.
Revised: Habibullah was a member of a specialized Afghan military unit established, trained, and financially supported by the British. Currently, he is waiting for a decision on his UK asylum application while living on a weekly allowance of £9.
When he left Afghanistan, he had originally planned to remain in Iran. However, he changed his mind after learning that the country was expelling Afghan citizens.
After crossing the border into Turkey, he claimed to have been assaulted by armed thieves and had to utilize the techniques he acquired while serving in CF333 to flee. During his time there, he managed to secure a job at a recycling factory for one month, which he described as a means to have a place to stay.
However, while in Turkey, he witnessed authorities attempting to gather unregistered Afghans and send them back to Afghanistan. This prompted him to escape to Europe.
Habibullah stated that upon arriving in Germany and submitting his documents to the authorities, they suggested he try his luck in the UK due to his previous employment with the British. Similarly, while in France, the police recommended he go to Britain based on his previous work with them.
He stated that it was challenging to travel from France to the UK. They were on a small boat with a capacity of 25 people, but there were 65-70 individuals onboard. During their journey, they ran out of fuel and encountered severe weather conditions, causing the boat to struggle. They were eventually rescued by the French Border Force and returned to France. On their second attempt, they used the same boat and successfully reached the British coast.
Upon reaching the UK, Habibullah expressed optimism that his service with the British forces would lead to him receiving protection quickly. He stated, “I was completely truthful while working with them and took part in numerous operations throughout the country.”
Many former commandos from Afghanistan who were part of CF333 and its sister unit ATF444, also known as the Triples, have been refused relocation to the United Kingdom.
The Afghan citizen has been patiently anticipating a resolution on his request for asylum for over 18 months. In 2022, he also submitted an application for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) program offered by the Ministry of Defence, which aids Afghans who collaborated with UK forces. However, he has yet to receive a response.
Habibullah described his current living situation as residing in a compact room with a roommate. He has access to a shared bathroom and receives three meals daily. He is given £9 per week. Due to not having a work permit, he is unable to obtain employment, open a bank account, or use the gym to combat his anxiety.
“I have been residing in this room for quite some time now. Uncertainty looms over me as I do not know what the future holds. The amount of money we receive for a week’s worth of expenses is insufficient for a mere hour’s worth of travel. I am in a state of being trapped in this situation.”
He expressed concern about the potential deportation to Rwanda as part of the government’s plan to relocate asylum seekers there. “All of us waiting for our documents in the hotel are anxious about this possibility. I often find myself consumed by worry. It has become a familiar feeling.”
Habibullah stated that during his time in CF333, he received two forms of payment from the British. One was a monthly allowance based on his rank, which amounted to approximately $100 per month as a soldier. The other was a $5 payment for each mission he participated in, of which he completed about 25 to 30 per month.
“He stated that he never failed the British troops and even put his life at risk to assist them. They had gone through numerous operations together and he had always been there to support them. However, when he arrived in their country, they disappointed him.”
Members of all major political parties, along with both current and former military members, have been advocating for the Ministry of Defence to provide support for personnel from the two units.
Labour’s spokesperson for the armed forces, Luke Pollard MP, expressed disappointment in the government’s handling of the situation in Afghanistan. He stated that the government’s actions towards Afghan citizens have been a disgraceful sequence of mistakes, starting before the fall of Kabul and continuing until now. They neglected to address the increasing number of Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (Arap) applications and have left Afghan individuals uncertain of their future.
The mishandling of Afghan resettlement by ministers remains one of the biggest failures of leadership and competency in recent history. The UK has a moral obligation to aid these Afghans, especially for the UK forces they worked alongside. It is time for action to be taken.
According to Tim Willasey-Wilsey, a former diplomat at the Foreign Office, working with CF333 from 2002 to 2008, it has been challenging to garner attention for Habibullah’s case due to his illegal entry into the UK. However, given his situation of being abandoned at Kabul airport after aiding in the evacuation, it is understandable that he resorted to this means of entry.
“He witnessed the brutal killing of a colleague but was unable to submit a formal request for Arap at the time. Several of his requests have gone unanswered by London for months and many have been inexplicably denied. Despite this, Habibullah’s unwavering loyalty to the UK is both a source of immense pride and deep shame.”
A representative from the government stated that they are fulfilling their promise to the courageous Afghans who aided the UK’s mission in Afghanistan and have been given settled status.
Up to this point, we have successfully rescued 24,600 individuals from Afghanistan. This includes over 15,200 individuals from the Arap program, which is known to be one of the most generous programs offered by any country. Additionally, we have also resettled thousands of Afghans who are eligible for our resettlement schemes. It is unnecessary for Afghans to endanger themselves by embarking on hazardous and unlawful journeys.
Habibullah is using a pseudonym.
Source: independent.co.uk
