LONDON – The British government has decided to allow former Afghan government soldiers to resettle in the UK.
The soldiers were part of the Afghan Special Forces, who had fought alongside British forces in the war against the Taliban.
After the Taliban came to power in 2021, a large number of Afghan soldiers fled abroad, fearing repercussions against them.
The Afghan personnel who worked with British Special Forces were referred to as “Terps.”
However, the resettlement requests of 2,000 Afghan personnel from this force were previously rejected in the UK.
The so-called “Terps” refers to an elite unit of Afghan soldiers that the UK had established and funded. After the Taliban came to power, they specifically targeted and executed members of the Terps.
In a Latest development, British Defense Secretary Luke Pollard informed Parliament that upon reviewing the rejected applications, it was discovered that some had been wrongly dismissed, but this was not due to any ill intent.
Pollard stated that the government has now approved 25% of the previously rejected applications because new evidence showed that some Afghan soldiers were directly paid by the UK government, making them eligible for resettlement. This crucial fact had been overlooked in their applications.
The Defense Secretary emphasized that the government is conducting a thorough review of many cases, given that many former Afghan soldiers are at risk under the Taliban regime. However, he clarified that not all Terps’ applications would necessarily be approved.
