The Ministry of Defence has disclosed that the average monthly cost of flights used to relocate eligible Afghans under the now-closed Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) stands at £457,833.33, according to a written response in the House of Lords.
In response to a question from Lord Kempsell, Conservative life peer, Defence Minister Lord Coaker stated that the Ministry had used a combination of Royal Air Force flights, Ministry of Defence-chartered flights, and charter flights run by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The government declined to name the companies involved in providing charter flights, citing commercial and operational sensitivities.
“The ARR was created to support a limited cohort of people who were affected by the data loss incident and who were previously thought to be at the highest risk,” Lord Coaker said. He added that flights under the wider Afghan Resettlement Programme, which includes both ARR and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), also carried a small number of individuals eligible under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
A separate response to Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown confirmed that as of 15 July 2025, 900 Afghan principals had been relocated under the ARR, along with 3,600 family members.
The secretive scheme was established following a 2022 data breach, in which personal details of ARAP applicants were emailed outside official government systems. The previous government responded by securing a High Court super-injunction and creating the ARR to relocate those most at risk.
The Government announced the closure of the ARR earlier this month, following an independent review led by Paul Rimmer, former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence. That review concluded it was “highly unlikely” that simply appearing in the leaked dataset would still justify targeting.
“We have now made the matter public so it can be subject to full Parliamentary scrutiny,” Lord Coaker said.
If it has saved the lives of people who helped us then I’d say that was money well spent.
We can’t be seen as a country that abandons people who risk their families lives to help the UK military.
Agreed. Grand scheme of things it’s peanuts and over time they will add to our economy as they work and repay that cost We put them and their family in harm way and so it’s the least we can do as a nation.
Who do you mean to work?
The interpreters, or the dependents?
How many speak English and if they don’t speak English will they learn? And what jobs will be available? Or do you mean the interpreters and ex Afgan SF work while the families just stay at home?
Otherwise, yes the cost financially is minimal in a country of our GDP.
Still, I read it was 6 billion, and I asked elsewhere where that money is coming from.
Mate as an aside have you watched footage of the recent frothing lefties at the Barbican hotel in London. A Tousi TV reporter went into the Antifa unwashed lines, he is an obvious Iranian asylum seeker, his English is good but with an obvious accent, but as he had a Union flag woolly hat on the leftie fascists gave him a right hard time and shouted him down (as is there standard tactic) and forced him to leave the unwashed pack, screaming he is not wanted there!!!! Yet they were all screaming refugees welcome!!!! They are frothing paid up nutters.
One further interesting observation (aside from the communist flags) was the Palestinian flags, screaming for a recognised Palestinian state, next to a massive 5 metre banner saying “no borders etc”! If it wasn’t so sad it would be hilarious. These full time demonstrators have such a limited knowledge and experience of the whole subject it’s quite scary! Anyway another updated report (hidden by plod) that 2 Afghan asylum seekers have raped a 12 year old in Nuneaton. Stand by stand by!
Morning mate.
Did not see that, thankfully. These enemy within 5th columnists irritate me.
Let them join Corbyn and Sultana and froth away.
Jesus….if true, a definite stand by stand by, no wonder that was suppressed.
SOP mate.
But people are noticing, and the issue is now mainstream.
Most refugees are no more refugees than I’m Chinese.
My opinion.
One category fits all with these people with their ideology.
Massive disagreement with the add to our economy and work! Stats prove, as does experience, show that an absolute minimum number work, the vast majority, to include families are actually a net loss to the economy.
Look at the report yesterday about the Red Cross facilitating families joining successful asylum claimants.
Right to a family life and all that EU HR rule.
Under HMGs own rules dependants do not have to show they have means to support themselves, and no requirement to speak English.
Fine if children. If not?
Straight on UC and housing.
Quite right. Iran has expelled 1.5 million Afghans, back to Afghanistan mostly, as paranoid fears/scapegoats of them spying for Israel! Deeply ashamed of the way Biden cut & ran from Afghanistan, leaving millions in dire peril.
You mean Trump. The deal to turn Afghanistan over to the Taliban was done by the self-styled ‘deal-maker’ himself.
Grow up. Educate yourself.
Someone else who find facts inconveniently incompatible with their political beliefs…
Well aware, yes. It was another dumber than dumb Trump idea that Biden shamed himself in implementing with virtually no preperation or consideration for allies or Afghan assets. Just broadcast far & wide that if you hurt the USA/West long enough we cut & run-At east that’s how our enemies will see it.
Least.
“Live long & prosper” Spock.
Not 100% going along with that! Yes they worked for us, but they did it for the dollar, the food on base, the clothes and the added extras! Do we have an obligation to to them all, no. Do we have an obligation to the blokes who joined the “triples” yes we do, but not the thousands of terps, many of whom were dodgy and quite wank.
No one from the regular ANA and/or families should come over here, as like I said previously they did not join to help NATO/UK forces, but for cash, clothes and food. Totally understandable of course but we have no obligation to them once we left, regardless of the way we left.
They did not help us as they were mercenaries. They helped themselves as they were paid and they were fighting for their country not ours. Quite why you think we owe them anything is beyond me and indeed simply does not make any logical sense. It’s typical of the elite thinking that were are their as saviours and that we have a moral responsibility that is supranational – it isn’t and never has been. There is absolutely no historical precedent for giving mercenaries or their families asylum. If you believe in democracy and free speech (which I think many on the left don’t unless it’s their form of democracy) we should have had a referendum on whether we accept these people or not. If we did have that referendum I would bet a million pounds that you your side would lose that referendum. Indeed, I would go further and we should have a referendum on removing the HRA from our statue books as well as the UK leaving the 1951 UN refugee convention and getting rid of the equalities act as well (which puts special interests groups above equality before the law). Along with this I would ensure that we allowed zero refugees to the UK in the future. The whole idea of asylum is absolutely nonsense of stilts and simply has no logical foundation whatsoever. For instance, there are 100,000,000 people that are seeking asylum world wide. We cannot house them all so why house a select proportion of these people? You think it’s fair to house a select proportion as eligible for asylum. How about the rights of the indigenous or native population or indeed their voice to mass migration? If you believe in the moral issue of asylum then we should clearly offer 100,000,000 people sanctuary but again that is physically impossible. The left believe in the principle of the “universal person” and the “universal human rights”. Again this is non-sense on stilts as the great Jeremy Bentham discussed about the French 1789 “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen”. There are no such things as “universal human” or indeed “universal human rights” as rights and responsibilities are derived from laws instituted by their respective countries. Moreover, if there were such things as “universal human rights” these would be supranational and would sit above nation states and would again be fundamentally antidemocratic as a consequence. They also lead to competing claims of the “most oppressed peoples” which is diametrically opposite of equality before the law. This is exactly what we have today with different factional groups laying claim to the status of MOPE. We cannot detach human’s from their culture and how they grew up it’s an impossibility. Moreover. with shear numbers we go away from the principle of them adopting our culture to these cultures dominating our own and imposing their own (e.g., sharia courts in the UK as an example – not legally binding now but for how long or even blasphemy laws through the back door). Finally, by accepting asylum seekers we are directly preventing democracy being seeded in these countries as those motivated to change their country for the better leave for other countries. It’s far better for them to change their own country for the better or nothing else will change and it won’t break the cycle in their countries. Many of these countries have not had a reformation like Europe did with Catholic and Protestant faith which was interrelated with the enlightenment and renaissance period. Thus they live in a perpetual dark age period of medieval laws and anti-scientific fundamentalist religious thinking. Moreover, asylum is fundamentally anti-democratic in nature as indigenous native British people have no direct say in this whole process. Moreover, it impacts upon local services (schools, NHS etc) and access to housing (already under immense strain with mass migration). I say say end all migration today, support native British people having children and housing and remigrate those that have come here illegally, committed crime or will not integrate. if you believe in the contrary you should clearly articulate (with justification) why you believe in asylum and give reasons why it is a good idea. Anything else is just non-sense on stilts like much of what the left state which is all emotion and no logic.
They were on our side and they are welcome. The amount of money spent on them is nothing compared to that spent on illegal immigrants.
Um, how many worked for the UK, did every soldier have his own personnel Afghan, this is the cost stupid wars that end in same mess as they started. Afghan a mess run by the nutters, us having let more people stat here for what> what did the war do, did make Afghan better? lives lost for us run away. Harsh be we lost a lot to solve nothing,
Nothing you say?… When was the last time you heard of an Al-Qaeda attack?
Islamic State, attacks not stopped, or did you about forget them, just A-Qaeda with a name change. 2017 Westminster palace attack, Manchester Arena, 2017 London Bridge attack, Parsons Green train bombing, 2020 Streatham stabbing, etc
• 2017 Westminster – lone-wolf
• 2017 London Bridge – Islamic State
• 2017 Parsons Green – Islamic State
• 2020 Manchester Arena – Islamic State
• 2920 Streatham Stabbings – lone-wolf
That you label all these as ‘Al Queda with a name change’ shows you know nothing about the history or nature or Islamic extremism.
So you speak and read Arabic, have lived there, travel both the Middle east and Africa muslim countries, served there? served along side friends killed there, i have but clearly you know way more than me. Great its rare to meet an expert in the field. I look forward to learning much from your wisdom. Feel free to enlighten me
Just done a quick google,approx 7000 afghans worked for the British,the number already here is north of 34000! It’s already been documented that a good portion of those had nothing to do with the Brits! Yet here they are🙄
Where has it been documented that they had nothing to do with supporting our soldiers?
20 years war involved a lot of afgan translators etc and then the number is increased significantly by their families that also need our protection.
You don’t keep up with the news then? Even Healy has admitted that there are people here who shouldn’t be on this ‘rescue’!
I repeat evidence please
You said a good proportion, that’s a very different thing from some.
Well as I can’t post links on here I suppose you can look it up for yourself cant you👍now if a defence minister admits that a good number should not have qualified that’s good enough for me!
Glad for you. I will stick with real stats and not political stories.
I’ll do it for you then,from the home office
“ it is difficult to ascertain the exact numbers but a significant portion of Afghans who have been resettled did NOT meet the criteria to be eligible for the scheme”
OK for you👍
No, that’s a statement wihout facts. If they weren’t eligible they would be exported. So stats please, how many were given settled status or immigration status that did not.
No one isn’t nieve to say some will be rejected and sent back, but let’s have stats and not vague statements, what percentage and what cost
Well you are also free to action your own investigations in order to corroborate (or not as the case may be) and update accordingly.
I await your rebuttal in due course. With facts, and primary sources of course.
In the meantime the fall out from this disastrous exit will continue.
Steve – try looking up Data Breach’ and ‘Super Injunction’ – all will be revealed.
All out of the defence budget I assume.
Taliban amongst them according to some reports.
Vetting?
I agree with bringing interpreters and specials to the UK, even though DSF tried to block them.
But, and it’s a big but, what is classed as family?
Immediate family, or does it include every aunty, uncle, cousin, grandparents, and how open is that to abuse?
Because with 34,000, so far, every British soldier seems to have had his own personal interpretor.
But 2 tier will be pleased, all goes towards his “core” 3% target and it doesn’t involve buying any extra kit!
Another question. What comparables are there with other nations who had troops in Afghanistan? Do they have schemes like this?
While foreign military aid can be counted towards NATO spending targets refugee resettlement cannot.
I have seen nothing that suggests this is coming from the defence budget.
It will becoming from foreign aid budget which refugee resettlement is a valid part.
I don’t think it’s fair to criticise Keir Starmer on a program secretly executed by Ben Wallace and Rishi Sunak in the last government due to a total cock up in their watchwhich they attempted to hide from the electorate specifically to keep Kier Starmer out of office.
Hi Jim.
I’m not criticising Sir Kier, I’m saying I think he will be pleased that as a HR lawyer I’m confident he supports this importing of the poor and needy of the world, vetted or not.
Which is an honourable thing. My own father had nothing when he came here. Except a job in place.
But all that has limits.
And many think those limits were breached a long time ago. Including me.
Yes, I agree, happy to include the Tories in the debacle as they were on duty at the time.
On who pays, I was basing that only on what I read online, a few articles and also some X pieces, which is why I mentioned assume. I’d agree ideally it should be from the aid budget. I’d like to see a definite on that.
Sorry but the U.K. isn’t a country for the poor and needy asylum is for people in danger not poor people bringing over interpreters most are fine with what a lot are not happy about is that person then claiming his 70 year old blind grandmother should come as well as 36 members of his so called family and for all of them to then go ahead of the native population in terms of social be that health or housing and to be granted indefinite welfare while making threats to the people in the U.K. if cuts to there services or higher taxes to pay for these things
Re read, Tim,
I agree with you.
One big problem is that mamy of these refugees are not refugees at all, but economic migrants.
No, the UK isn’t a country for the poor and needy. I said wanting to help them is honorable. But there are limits to that.
But every human rights or aid charity see migrants all as refugees.
Fair enough and most people would say we should help people but I’m of the view that bringing people to our country is the very last thing we should do I think the UN should do more for example with Syria they should have created a safe zone where refugees to go and use the UN troops to protect it and we should provide food medical etc it’s 1000x cheaper and more effective than bring over 10s of thousands to the U.K. dumping them in local authorities to deal with causing people to hate them creating untold problems for both we act like we are a rich country when we are not look at GDP per person that shows we are very average and getting worse it just can’t continue don’t get me wrong I have empathy for people in a bad spot but I think the way we are going will not end up good
I agree.
I’ve stated my opinion for over a decade that unlimited immigration is unsustainable.
For social cohesion as well as for public services reasons.
It’s why Reform are doing so well.
No one in the establishment ( Labour Tory ) listens. And if they say they are, they do nothing.
The Tories are now vowing to get tough. How convenient, with them not in power.
Blair talked tough too, so did Brown. When he wasn’t caught by a microphone calling a lady’s genuine concerns bigoted.
And if someone states an objection, they’re screamed at for being racist.
See above.
Thus how the left works I screaming down all opposition.
Well, things are changing.
Unfortunately after Srebrenica in 1995, most people won’t have faith in the safety of UN safe area.
I think the left have lost the argument now however I think it might be too late to do anything about it due to our system millions of people have been parachuted into well paid jobs in the government and employed due to silly rules saying u should employ people based on skin colour these people are then advancing through government departments earning more and more and bringing over more relations my wife is from abroad and she says the same thing she doesn’t understand why your own country discriminates against its own people and the government then wonders why there having social unrest I hate seeing my country start to burn
“…system millions of people have been parachuted into well paid jobs in the government and employed due to silly rules saying u should employ people based on skin colour…”
Complete hysterical fiction, manufactured to enflame racial hated.
Fortunately as the BUF, BNP, NF, EF, BF have all discovered (and Reform will discover soon enough), the British are a fair-minded people that judge others by their individual character and not skin-tone.
Careful with that admission about your father. There’s plenty in Reform that think people like yourself, not just immigrants, should be ‘deported’ too.
Spock, What happens to Vulcans ? Will you “Klingon” untill they beam you off the planet ?
Is it really nonsense is it ? So there isn’t any jobs out there advertising for ethnic minorities only none at all ? Is that what your claiming tell that to young people coming out of university being passed over for jobs and then feeling there best option is to move abroad let me guess if someone doesn’t agree with it there racists
And it’s the right saying people should be judged on there ability rather than there skin colour it’s the left that want it based on skin colour because apparently if your darker your a victim (must remind my wife she a victim) and reform are not racists isn’t it Labour that have a serious problem with racism ? Were they not investigated for it and have MPs leave over it
You are just silly .
This is a very shortsighted decision that will have ramifications in our lifetime and more significantly on our dependents once we’ve gone?
The fact is 34000 are here from this that we know of, the cadre of actual interpreters etc is a small proportion of this. We had one dependent (a daughter resident here from one) demanding on BBC Newsnight that her grandmother is to be brought over, and legals and support from groups was to make this happen. I noted with a sigh, that she had an Afghanistan flag and country symbol as a necklace as she boiled with anger about how their rights were not met with her grandmother not being her, she mentioned her father wasn’t working anymore also. Then we find that an Afghan criminal blackmailed the government by threatening to release names from the leaked data or give him a ticket out. What did the government do? They caved and arranged a flight to bring that Afghan to the UK, he’s with us now, in some house somewhere in some town. Let’s not forget that Afghanistan was not a province of the UK like some sort of Roman province, we were there to help and to subdue the Taliban, not for conquest. It allowed girls to go to school etc, it went tits pi and the Taliban took over, we don’t owe them citizenship whether some worked for us or not.
Tits up , not tits pi! which I’m sure is not a pie I would see in M&S
What about the boats? Plenty of Afghans on them to.and when people say they were helping us… For there bloody good.
We didn’t bring all the resistance groups from Europe back to England did we??
This country is a laughing stock abroad a bloody disgrace.
One can only hope they don’t trash these aircraft they are flying on. Seeing what they do to temporary accomodation.