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A survey revealed that most voters support granting asylum to members of a British-funded unit in Afghanistan with specialized training.
Even though they were trained and employed by the UK government, numerous individuals from the groups called “The Triples” have recently been informed that they are not eligible for Britain’s resettlement programs. British Army veterans have accused the government of disregarding their offers to provide character references.
The survey was conducted following The Independent’s report exposing how Rishi Sunak’s administration had abandoned brave soldiers to the Taliban’s mercy.
A disagreement between ministers has arisen this week regarding the fate of soldiers who have been described as risking their lives for the UK. Veterans’ minister Johnny Mercer and armed forces minister James Heappey are at odds over the number of these soldiers that should be brought to Britain.
Adding more stress for Mr. Sunak to take action, a recent YouGov survey of approximately 3,000 voters revealed that the majority of the population, including 48 percent of Conservative voters, believe that Afghan veterans should be given the sanctuary they were promised in the United Kingdom.
Only 19% of participants believed that immigrants should not have the opportunity to live in Britain, while this percentage increased to 26% among Conservative voters.
After a collaborative investigation by The Independent, Lighthouse Reports, and Sky News, it was discovered that numerous ex-commandos have been subject to physical abuse, torture, or murder by the Taliban since the fall of Kabul in 2021.
Many individuals have been compelled to live in poverty, as they are unable to secure employment due to constantly relocating every month to avoid the Taliban.
Several members of the Afghan special forces have arrived in the UK through evacuation or by traveling through Europe and crossing the Channel on small boats. It was also announced on Monday that approximately 200 of these soldiers are currently in Pakistan and are at risk of being sent back to Afghanistan.
The individuals from Commando Force 333 and Afghan Territorial Force 444, who were stranded in Afghanistan in 2021, were advised to reach out to the UK’s Arap program. This program was created to assist “Afghan civilians who collaborated with or worked for the UK government in Afghanistan in significant or vulnerable positions.”
In 2018, Major General Charlie Herbert, who had previously served as a senior adviser for Nato in Afghanistan, was pictured with 444 members in Kandahar, with him standing second from the right.
Senior Nato advisor in Afghanistan from 2017 to 2018, Major General Charlie Herbert, stated to The Independent that no other Afghan security forces were as closely connected to the UK as 333 and 444, and none showed greater loyalty or bravery in supporting our military goals.
Some British military colleagues provided character references for several elite Afghan soldiers, but there are now reports that the Arap team or Ministry of Defence did not reach out to some of them.
A former British soldier named Alex shared with the BBC that he provided information about a fellow soldier he served with in Afghanistan to the Arap team, but did not receive a response.
I know of several individuals who also worked with the Triples but have not been contacted by the MoD or Arap. All of their cases were initially denied and then rejected again on appeal.
The speaker expressed concern for veterans and their mental well-being. It is disheartening to imagine leaving them behind after they had taken care of you during your time on the ground.
Mr Heappey, the minister for the armed forces, stood up for the government’s track record in front of Members of Parliament on Monday. He expressed frustration at the difficulties in confirming the service of individuals who were part of the same unit as UK personnel, rather than serving directly alongside them.
Alex expressed frustration at the minister’s statement that it is difficult to verify these individuals, as they have not made any effort to do so and have not even contacted their own staff.
Source: independent.co.uk
