UK shuts both its Afghan resettlement schemes without warning

TOI Correspondent from London: The UK govt has without warning shut down two authorized schemes that helped over 34,000 Afghans declare sanctuary in Britain, sparking fury among the many Afghan diaspora.Immigration rule adjustments laid in parliament on Tuesday ended the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) for brand spanking new purposes. The scheme, launched in April 2021, was for individuals who had helped Britain battle the Taliban or who labored for the UK govt and feared reprisal.The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which opened in Jan 2022 to assist ladies, women and minority teams come legally to the UK, was additionally shut.Migration minister Seema Malohtra stated the UK is not going to launch any additional pathways.Dr Nooralhaq Nasimi, director of the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association in London, which helps Afghan refugees in Britain, was indignant concerning the closure and stated Afghans have been dealing with “daily humiliation” by the UK press. “If they welcome the people of Ukraine and Hong Kong, there shouldn’t be any discrimination against Afghans. Trump has done the same thing by introducing a blanket ban on Afghans,” he informed TOI.“The UK press is promoting bad things about Afghan society. We were once part of Persian civilisation and invented lots of good things,” he stated, including that closing all authorized routes meant extra Afghans would come to the UK illegally.Nasimi added the 2 schemes had not even evacuated the best folks thus far. “Most of the Afghans evacuated so far are from a Pashtun background, who have tribal links with the Taliban. They have come to the UK, got their residency, and travelled back to Afghanistan to support the Taliban. The Pashtuns are wealthy and live in palaces now. But the people who really deserved to come, for example individuals who worked with Nato, are still stuck in Afghanistan or facing deportation from Pakistan and Iran. There are women, girls, musicians, and activists all stuck in Afghanistan who would like to come to Britain. We are contacted daily by people who tried to come via these schemes who never got any response. Millions face starvation.”Defence secretary John Healey stated ARAP might be closed “not least so that defence efforts and resources can be focused where they are most needed — on our nation’s security.”Over 12,800 Afghans have been resettled in Britain beneath ACRS. By March 31, 2025, 21,316 Afghans had been relocated beneath ARAP. An additional 22,000 ARAP candidates are in a backlog.