Afghans fleeing the Taliban in desperate hiding have been informed they may only enter Britain safely if the Islamists from whom they are attempting to escape approve of their travel
documents.
Birth and marriage certificates must be issued in English with stamps from the Afghan government departments, operated by the Taliban since the insurgent group seized to power in August 2021, according to UK officials. This policy is for anyone who assisted British forces throughout the conflict.
Afghans, according to charities and one MP, are essentially being forced to "sign their own death warrants," they are being put in risk. Hundreds of Afghans are still awaiting word on the scheme's ability to allow them to move to the UK. Following an inquiry by The Independent, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which had first disputed the practice, has now acknowledged its error and apologized.
One MP charged that the UK government showed "total contempt" for the difficult circumstances that Afghans must endure.
The Independent has seen multiple emails sent by MoD caseworkers to Arap candidates requesting English-language birth and marriage papers with official government stamps. In one instance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed an Afghan interpreter to have his children's birth certificates and his marriage certificate certified (MoFA).
He eventually went to the Taliban's Ministry of Justice to have his marriage certificate authenticated. He is currently hiding out in Afghanistan, is unable to work, and is still awaiting assistance to transfer to a different nation before traveling to the UK.
The Arap case team informed applicants through email that they had received emails from Arap instructing them to visit their local government or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to obtain new documentation for their move to the UK after The Independent brought up the matter. Only a few days prior, Rishi Sunak had emphasized how "very seriously" his government took its commitments under the Arap plan.
He was questioned during Prime Minister's Questions regarding the plight of female judges in Afghanistan who now suffer "mortal risk" as a result of the Taliban taking power.
In response, Mr. Sunak informed Parliament that the UK "takes its commitments to individuals who helped and served in Afghanistan, through... the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Plan, extremely seriously.
Estimates from the MoD place the number of individuals who qualify for refuge in the UK under the Arap program at about 4,600, including dependent family members who have not yet been transported there. Photo by isafmedia, Wikimedia commons.