The Ministry of Defence has reiterated its commitment to resettling eligible Afghans who supported British forces, reaffirming that over 30,000 individuals have been relocated under government schemes.

During a Written Question session on Monday, 3 February 2025, Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative – Huntingdon) asked how many Afghans employed directly by British forces were brought to the UK under Operation Lazurite and its predecessor schemes.

Luke Pollard, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, replied:

“Operation LAZURITE supports the Afghan Resettlement Programme announced in December. It is not in itself a scheme, rather a delivery component that assists parts of the end-to-end process of Afghan relocation and resettlement into the UK. Over 30,000 eligible Afghans have been relocated to the UK under resettlement schemes. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of relocation figures by job role, including those who worked directly for British Forces, at this time.”

In a separate Written Question on Friday, 31 January 2025, Calvin Bailey (Labour – Leyton and Wanstead) inquired about possible impacts on the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) following changes in refugee policy in the United States.

Pollard stated that the UK’s ARAP eligibility criteria remain unaffected, adding:

“This Government is fully committed to delivering on the pledge made by Parliament to those in Afghanistan who are eligible to relocate and resettle, and we continue to welcome eligible Afghans and their families to the UK through our Afghan resettlement schemes.”

Pollard also noted that “Ministers in multiple government departments are engaging and working collaboratively to deliver a single pipeline for Afghan resettlement,” aiming for more efficiency and better outcomes.

According to his statement, around 90 eligible families have been arriving in the UK each month over the past year, though the government ultimately intends to close the UK Afghan resettlement schemes once they reach a defined endpoint.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

51 COMMENTS

  1. Why does this continue? The war has been over for years. Reprisals in Afghanistan don’t seem to be occurring at any material rate. The Taliban government seems intent on fighting Pakistan now.

  2. Ludicrous. No Afghan was forced to work for UK forces. Those who did knew the risks. Now we have 30000 more people from one of the most backward, violent countries on earth who will depend on taxpayer support for years. From Blair the warmongering liar through his equally useless successors, our leaders have ignored the interests of the British people, yet demand they fund their ill judged decisions.

    • Because we went in there and stured up a mess and then left. These people helped support the work that was done there and believed that we were there to build a new future for the country. Abandoning them is just wrong on any logic. Also that’s another 30,000 workers that are badly needed by our economy and so not all negative.

      • If the economy badly needs workers we could always encourage and train some of the millions of Brits we already have on benefits.

        Just a thought.

        • Ever given any thought that many (not all) on benefits are on benefits because they want to be? A friend of mine who did not want to be on benefits actually took a job that meant the family as a whole went backward. Retired as assistant manager (many years later) on a six figure sum. Alas, I think he is an outlier, as the statisticians call it. He took the job because it was a job, ignoring the fact that it paid less than the combined family benefits he was about to loose. Nowadays it’s why should I? Many can not see past next week.

      • Who is “we” Steve?

        The public never voted to have blood of British servicemen spilled in Afghanistan nor billions of pounds in taxes.
        This is such a terrible idea on all counts and will cost the taxpayers billions in welfare.

        • Why assume welfare? Many of these were interpreters – they’ll speak decent enough English that they can work.

          They’re not all going to come here and just sponge off benefits for life.

      • They had billions upin billions poured into Afghanistan and thousands of coalition and Afghan lives lost and they folded in two weeks with barely a fight.

        Sorry, but they clearly did not care for a better and fairer Afghanistan.

    • So just use people up and spit them out when they’re no more use to us?

      Utterly despicable.

      These are people who signed up with us to make Afghanistan a better place. We failed at that. And people like you think we should just casually throw them to the wolves?

      Even from a purely pragmatic point of view; why should any foreign national ever help us again in future if there’s no guarantee of our success and we just leave them to it if we fail and pull out? No locals would ever side with us again.

      • No, they did not do it to make Afghanistan a better place. That is a ludicrously naive view of the world. They did it for money and the power of being in proximity to American and UK forces. That is all, they were mercenaries and they were paid. Locals will always work with because of money, power, and advantage.

        • Oh I didn’t realise you could read minds, let alone so many people’s minds all at once.

          Ever thought that perhaps you’re just too jaded? Or is this the Reform coming out: brown people bad, and those that aren’t are disposable?

          As I said: if we throw them to the wolves then why would anyone ever help us in future?

          • As I said they will “help”, because they see money and power. They knew what they signed up for, if they had wished to avoid their fate they should have fought for a better nation. But as Afghanistan fell in a matter of weeks, they made their choice.
            As for whether I can read minds? No, but I am not an infant. I have seen governments and armies try to fix this part of the world and its people for decades, it does not work nor will it ever work.

      • Exactly this. Biden was stupid enough to implement Trump’s plan to pull out of Afghanistan with virtually no planning or warning. Disgraceful. Such a waste. The Afghans have paid the greatest price both bin collateral damage in ops & then in allowing the Taliban to succeed in taking over. Plenty of retribution. Let’s not forget those who got left behind & faced the full anger of the Taliban.

  3. How many interpreters, guides, and such were there?
    This number must include families too, otherwise that’s quite a few per soldier we ever deployed there.

    • Probably but that seems fair, leaving their family behind to pay the price wouldn’t go down well with anyone. The taliban might be playing ball right now and not going after people supporting the allies but I think we all know that it won’t last.

      • Well, that was my thought. There is family, and family. But I see my scepticism has already been shot down.
        Which is why I asked how many direct interpreters, guides, Afghan SF there were to get an idea? I don’t know.

        • Not Scepticism, Racist ism. You have a long history of this sort of veiled thinking out loud on here.
          Don’t kid yourself Danny boy, some of us see right through you.

          • Well you’d be WRONG then, wouldn’t you, Jim.
            Would you like to meet my Kenyan friend Erik?
            You know F all about me, so take your fucking threats elsewhere, and I’ll report you to the site.
            I don’t appreciate being slandered by racist allegations
            FUCK OFF. Clear?

    • DM, Many of those who chose to help the west, did so knowing their lives and those of their family might be in danger if the US ever pulled out. I guess that they and their families desired to be relocated after that.

      It’s not hard to understand really is it ?

      • Is it hard to understand. No
        And DID I raise an objection to helping? Did I?
        No.
        I questioned the NUMBER, families included, not the need or validity of helping those who are entitled…there is a big difference.
        To me, the numbers quoted show that many are “jumping on the bandwagon” when not entitled, which happens time after time after time when migrants abuse our open hospitality.

      • “It’s not hard to understand really is it ?”

        So, thanks for the barbed comment at the end there……….

    • Yes they include families and most of them are living on Military houses. Some even on Officers Married Quarters

        • Daniele, there is an interdepartmental unit that investigates cases… exhaustively.

          However, remember some of the first people from the sub-continent arrived, then brought their wives (plural), children, then the parents, then their brothers and sisters because they were dependent on the grandparents for childminding… Hope this helps.

          The initial claim IS investigated, please rest assured.

  4. Cue xenophobes who’ll complain about people who endangered their lives helping British forces now coming to live here…

    • “xenophobes?” Oh, you mean people who are concerned that the most backward of any people in any country have flooded the UK? My position is simple. If you have ever worked in support of the UK’s aims and made a meaningful contribution to our interests during the period of our deployment in country. You and your immediate family (wife/husband and children, or if not married their parents) should have the right to stay in the UK on a 10-year conditional Visa (renewed every 10 years).

      How many Afghans did you come across when you were deployed there Spock? If the figure of genuine and verifiable Afghans is 200,000. I wouldn’t have an issue. We have a message to send out that the UK repays help, loyalty and assistance. That said, the numbers of those who worked for or with us is very different to the huge number that have applied. Latest figures have over 50,000 applied, plus family members.

      ARAP is for Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Government in Afghanistan in exposed or meaningful roles and may include an offer of relocation to the UK for those deemed eligible by the Ministry of Defence and who are deemed suitable for relocation by the Home Office. In 2020, Ben Wallace told Parliament that up to September 2020, 1,319 Afghan interpreters and their families had been relocated under ARAP. That’s a big difference. I know there have been applications from family members of those who served with us alleging they were being targetted. It is amazing how many “cousins” applied claiming that they and their family needed to come to the UK, even though they had never worked for us or NATO. Where do you draw the line?

      Afghan citizens who are eligible for relocation to the UK under the ARAP may relocate with a partner, dependent children and additional family members who are also deemed eligible for relocation under the ARAP by the Ministry of Defence and suitable for relocation by the Home Office. I have been asked to verify nine Afghans. Two I had never heard of, the rest were Translators or other liaison operators.

      Those of us who were there can attest to the numbers. In Nolay, Inkerman, Gibraltar, Bastion, Jackson, Lashkar Gah and Kajaki, you didn’t have anyone who wasn’t an Interpreter or ANA. Even then, more times than not, you wanted to have ANA sleeping in another part of the compound to reduce opportunities presented to embedded insurgents. So, where did the other 28,681 come from?

      From the Parliamemt Website: Other European countries have received a high volume of asylum applications from Afghan nationals in recent years. In 2023, EU countries received 101,000 asylum applications from Afghan nationals, with 51,300 of those being in Germany and 16,700 in France. In the same year, the UK received around 9,700. Between 2021 and 2023, there were roughly 300,000 asylum applications from Afghans in EU countries, which made them the largest nationality grouping of asylum seekers after Syrians (414,000 applications). The number of applications from Afghans was highest in 2016, at around 180,000, and in 2015 it was also higher than in recent years, at 175,400. There is no way that many Afghans worked for us, even if we add their family members to that number.

      • The most backwards people of any people in any country are Trump supporters, not these Afghan refugees.
        You think 30,000 Afghans in a population of 68,000,000 (0.04% of GBR population) is a “flood”. Seriously?

        You draw the line at the immediate family of the interpreter. Not that difficult if you think rationally.

        Obviously any Afghan who isn’t an Islamic fanatic is going to register a claim to get out of there, who can blame them? What sane person would want to live under the control of the Taliban. Which is exactly why have a vetting system to identify those who genuinely aided U.K. forces.

      • Well said “Ex-RoyalMarine”

        I don’t live in Britain but I like to keep up to date with your military and politics… since Britain is one of America’s closest allies. We send our thoughts to you and your people.

  5. Lot’s of abuse and threats here from one “Member”, Hope I didn’t touch a nerve, looks a bit butt hurt and ruffled. Lol.

    True colours on show for all to see. Deary me.

    • A lot of probable xenophobes on here, when you call them out on it they revert to, “Oh, but I have brown friends/brown skin so I can’t be a racist.”

      Anyone seen our old friend Faroukh?

    • Touched a nerve? Butt hurt? You would be too if you were accused of something you are not by a complete stranger hiding behind an ID as “Jim”
      As I said in my original reply, which was ignored – quote
      “And DID I raise an objection to helping? Did I?
      No.
      I questioned the NUMBER, families included, not the need or validity of helping those who are entitled…there is a big difference.
      To me, the numbers quoted show that many are “jumping on the bandwagon” when not entitled, which happens time after time after time when migrants abuse our open hospitality.”
      That is not in any way racist no matter how much you twist it so, neither is concern about immigration.
      “True colours on show for all to see. Deary me.”
      Only in the eyes of you and your own acolytes like H, who has now magically reappeared after being banned from here.
      “Lot’s of abuse and threats ”
      Threats, none from me other than reporting the incident to the site, which I did, and that I’d sue you if I could. Nothing illegal.
      Abuse. Yes, I told you to * off, and quite rightly. I don’t take kindly to being slandered on a public forum.
      Carry on. I’m enjoying this immensely.
      Unlike you and H, I do actually contribute to UKDJ on a daily basis talking about MILITARY MATTERS. You just pop up and snipe whenever politics gets involved.

  6. And before anyone calls me out, Jim et al, I’m married to a lady of colour. Daniele is not racist and was open to my multicultural family meeting him; says a lot about the man.

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