Hundreds of Afghans who risked their lives to work with the UK in Afghanistan and fled the Taliban are now stuck in neighbouring Pakistan as they wait to be relocated to the UK. These Afghan allies, including former translators for the British army, educators, and democracy advocates, find themselves living in fear as Pakistan intensifies its crackdown on migrants without visas amid rising cross-border tensions.
Marzia, an English teacher for the British Council, now heavily pregnant, has been waiting for a UK visa for eight long months. “My physical and mental health are not good,” she says. “When the Taliban government took over Afghanistan, our lives were in danger because of the work we did for the UK government. We had to live in hiding.”
Pakistan and Neighbouring Countries waiting for Support
Marzia is just one of many Afghans who worked with or for the UK before the hasty withdrawal of foreign forces when the Taliban regained power in 2021. They all qualify for the UK government’s resettlement schemes, and the UK government had asked them to come to Pakistan for visa processing.
While they wait, they have no legal access to education or work. Most of them fear repercussions from the Taliban and have asked for anonymity to protect their identities.
Marzia’s situation is particularly dire as her visa has expired, and she has been advised by her caseworker not to leave her guest house, putting her health and her unborn child’s at risk.
These Afghan allies are part of the UK government’s Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). As of September, around 2,730 people and their dependents were part of these programs in Pakistan.
To process visa applications, the UK government has asked these Afghans to make their way to a third country, usually Pakistan, due to the lack of visa processing facilities in Afghanistan. Leaving Afghanistan is challenging due to the waiting list for passports and visa processing delays.
In Pakistan, the UK government covers their accommodations and meals, but many assumed they would only spend a few weeks there, finding themselves stuck with no clear communication from the UK.
Sara de Jong, the co-founder of the Sulha Alliance, a charity advocating for Afghan interpreters, highlighted the slow execution of these programs, leaving many in limbo for over a year.
The Afghan allies in Pakistan are living in fear, with some claiming that the police have been raiding hotels, intensifying their worries. They do not have their passports, and their Pakistani visas have expired.
The UK government’s response to these challenges remains uncertain, leaving these Afghan allies desperate for a lifeline. While they had supported the UK government in Afghanistan, they now appeal to the British authorities for swift action and safe resettlement to the UK.
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