Afghans who worked with the British government will have permanent residence in Britain, but hundreds still leave

Afghans who worked for British troops will have the right to “indefinite” residence permits and the right to apply for British citizenship in the future, London has said, as hundreds of those eligible for evacuation remain in Afghanistan.

Called ‘Operation Warm Welcome’, the British government revealed Wednesday, what it called a “Significant cross-government efforts” say Afghans arriving in Britain will receive “Vital support” necessary to rebuild their lives.

All Afghans there “Worked closely with the British military and the British government in Afghanistan” would immediately upon their arrival have an unlimited right of residence. Those who have already moved to the UK under the Afghanistan Relations and Assistance Policy (AR) will be able to replace their temporary magazines with permanent ones, a government statement said.

The government also promised to spend £ 12 million ($ 16.55 million) on “Prioritize” additional school places and assistance for arriving Afghan children. There will also be support for 300 bachelor’s and postgraduate scholarships for Afghans at British universities as well as English courses for adults.

The program includes access to health care and housing benefits. A total of £ 200 million ($ 275.8 million) has been set aside to cover the costs of the first year of the Afghanistan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme, the government said.

At least 8,000 Afghans eligible for assistance under the AR program have been evacuated by Britain since August 13, according to British media. They were among the 15,000 evacuees flown out of British planes during this period.

In addition, Britain also said it would receive 5,000 Afghan refugees this year. This move will be part of another program - the Afghan Citizens' Settlement Scheme - which aims to accept 20,000 over five years. This program is focused on women, children and various Afghan minorities.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said London owed a debt “A huge debt” to those who worked with British armed forces, and that was him “determined” to support them and their families. Interior Minister Priti Patel added that the goal is to secure Afghans “Have security and stability to thrive in the UK."

However, it is clear that not everyone who is eligible for aid in the United Kingdom will be able to benefit from London’s generosity immediately. Hundreds of Afghans working for Britain on the ground remain in Afghanistan after military evacuations ended Monday night, British media have reported.

Between 150 and 250 people “Eligible for evacuation” - plus their families - stay there, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told MPs according to the BBC. London is in dialogue with the Taliban to ensure their safe passage out of the country, Downing Street has confirmed.

Johnson’s Special Representative for the Afghan Transition, Sir Simon Gass, has traveled to Doha to meet with senior Taliban officials and “Emphasizes the importance” safe passage for both British nationals and Afghans who have worked with Britain over the past 20 years, a spokesman told the media.

Earlier, a former patrolling translator for British security forces at Britain’s Kabul embassy told RT that he was virtually abandoned by London in the midst of the chaotic evacuation. He was entitled to evacuation, but failed to reach Kabul airport in time without outside help and was eventually forced to hide.

It has also been reported that around 125 Afghan guards at the British Embassy in Kabul were declared unfit for protection by the British government. The guards, who were rejected along with a dozen other Afghan embassy staff, said their jobs were only terminated by an informal announcement - right after they helped British diplomats flee Afghanistan.

The UK’s Afghan Program for Settlement and Assistance Policy (AR) also initially rejected requests from former local staff who had been dismissed from service. In the face of repeated criticism, the scheme was eventually revised to exclude only the Afghans who were dismissed for “serious” or criminal acts.

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