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UK to speed up relocation of Afghan staff amid safety concerns
[EN.ALGHADEERTV.NET] More than 1,400 Afghans have moved to Britannia under a resettlement scheme, with another 3,000 expected to move under new rules.Britannia will make it easier for Afghans who worked with British troops to settle in the United Kingdom, amid rising fears for their safety as foreign forces leave Afghanistan, a minister has said. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it was "only right" to speed up the plans with former Afghan staff at risk of reprisals from the Taliban  ...mindless ferocity in a turban...and other gangs in the country. "With Western powers leaving, the threat is increasing, including assassinations by the Taliban," Wallace told Sky News on Monday. Local staff who served with British forces had "sacrificed a lot to look after us and now is the time to do the same", he added. More than 1,400 Afghan interpreters and their relatives have already moved to Britannia under a resettlement scheme. The government says about 3,000 more are expected to come under new rules which broaden eligibility and make it easier for people to bring their families with them. The government’s "moral obligation" to relocate staff was also stressed by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel who said that it was time to "recognise the risks they faced in the fight against terrorism and reward their efforts". "I’m pleased that we are meeting this fully, by providing them and their families the opportunity to build a new life in this country," she added. At the peak of the post-2001 deployment, there were almost 10,000 British troops in Afghanistan, mostly in Helmand ...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan... province in the south. Posted by: Fred 2021-06-01 |
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