The minister, who was questioned about the veteran’s case in the House of Commons, said that the former airman would not qualify “in principle” for the Ministry of Defence’s Afghan resettlement scheme.
The Afghan pilot flew combat missions against the Taliban, and came to the UK on a small boat after he says he was unable to find a safe and legal route to apply for asylum here. The Independent is calling for the pilot to be given a safe haven in the UK, and has been supported in its campaign by a string of UK generals, the former head of the Royal Navy, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, and music legend Sting.
Several former Tory ministers have already said they are appalled by the treatment of the former airman, who risked his life in the name of duty and has left his family in hiding in Afghanistan while seeking safe refuge.
The veteran, who was described as a “patriot to his nation” by his coalition forces supervisor, wrote directly to Rishi Sunak to plead his case, but is yet to hear anything back. He has applied for asylum in the UK, and has also applied to stay under the Arap (Afghan relocations and assistance policy) scheme, which is the dedicated resettlement scheme operated by the Ministry of Defence.
This story is from the May 16, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the May 16, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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