NEW BETRAYAL OF THE BRAVE
REVEALED: Despite minister’s vow to give 50 hero Afghan translators sanctuary, not a single one has arrived in UK
NONE of the 50 Afghan interpreters promised sanctuary in Britain has arrived, despite increasing threats in their homeland.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was accused of ‘empty words’ last night after vowing last June to honour the ‘extraordinary service’ of those who put their lives on the line for British troops.
Mr Williamson said he would tear up the previous policy and give 50 interpreters and their families refuge.
But ten months on, not a single translator has made it to the UK under the new rules. One retired colonel described the situation as a ‘tragedy in the making’.
Those left abandoned in Afghanistan – at the mercy of a resurgent Taliban – question if there are even 50 interpreters who could qualify under the strict Ministry of Defence criteria. Last night Mr Williamson said he would look into the issue as a ‘matter of urgency’, adding: ‘This is taking longer than we hoped.’
It comes as three translators who helped the US were reportedly killed in a Taliban ambush. Days before, the brother of a former interpreter for the British Army was shot by gunmen searching for his sibling.
In another attack, an interpreter for British forces amazingly survived his vehicle being sprayed with gunfire by Taliban fanatics.
Interpreters for British forces last night said
the attacks underlined the mounting threat posed by the Taliban.
Colonel Simon Diggins, a former defence attaché at the British embassy in Kabul, criticised the Ministry of Defence. He said: ‘Despite the Government’s promise of a relaxing of the criteria for our interpreters coming to this country, to date, as far as we can tell, not a single additional interpreter has been helped.
‘This is beyond disappointing – these are tragedies in the making. Our former interpreters’ lives, and those of their families, are on hold, while we wait for the Government just to do the decent thing. How much longer must we wait?’
Mr Williamson said last June up to 200 people would benefit from his new policy, which would see the relocation eligibility criteria extended by six years. His team said this would account for 50 interpreters plus their families.
Announcing the changes, Mr Williamson said ‘we owe them more than just warm words’, adding: ‘They served our nation with dazzling distinction. And we will do what is right to honour their extraordinary service.’
Just one interpreter has been told he can come to Britain under the new rules. Niz, 31, is expected to arrive with his wife and five children within weeks.
The previous policy welcomed only those serving in Helmand after December 2012, excluding those who had worked with British troops before that date, when the fighting was at its worst.
The new criteria opened relocation applications to those who had served since May 1, 2006. But it applied only to interpreters who had spent a year on the frontline with British troops and who were specifically made redundant.
Mr Williamson’s team promised a review to look at the cases of those on short-term contracts which expired or those who quit when they were subjected to death threats once their identities became known. Interpreters whose contracts expired claimed they were told by MoD officials in Afghanistan they did not qualify. The Ministry of Defence said last night the review into those on such contracts was continuing, with several international departments involved.
Former translator Rafi Hottak, who is campaigning for more interpreters to be allowed to find safety in the UK, said they were ‘misled and given false hope’.
Mr Hottak, who was injured in an explosion on the frontline before being granted asylum in the UK, said: ‘ We know that translators are in the sights of the Taliban, who are making more and more targeted attacks.
‘Those who had faced death threats, attacks and intimidation after many years of loyal service but were not made redundant believed they too would have the opportunity to live a safe life in the UK under the change of policy but it seems that this is not the case and that so far no one I know of has been granted sanctuary.’
Referring to Mr Williamson’s comments at the time, he added: ‘He promised to honour extraordinary service but that is just not happening.
‘Some of those who risked the most and now face the greatest threats as a result have been told simply “sorry, you don’t qualify”.
‘It is so disappointing and people feel let down. There is still hope but so far the risks and service together with the real threats are just not being recognised.’
Sam, who served on the frontline in Helmand, has been told he does not qualify to come to the UK despite threats and his family being attacked.
He said: ‘We feel we have been let down and rejected again because he (Mr Williamson) has been shown to have spoken empty words. How can those who risked the most and have suffered ever since just be dismissed?’
Dr Julian Lewis, Tory MP and chairman of the defence select committee, added: ‘I am sure the Secretary of State would be alarmed to learn that the welcome changes he introduced in response to public concern for these interpreters have not yet made a difference on the ground.’ The Mail’s award-winning threeyear Betrayal of the Brave campaign has highlighted the cases of dozens of former and current translators who believe they have been ‘abandoned’ by the British to the Taliban.
A total of 1,150 Afghans have been rehomed in Britain under the previous scheme. Another 400 interpreters have been offered financial or training packages in Afghanistan.
An MoD spokesman said: ‘Our specialist team is working hard to identify which Afghan interpreters are eligible for relocation under the expanded scheme.
‘This requires close collaboration with other Government departments, the Afghan government and the International Organisation for Migration, and therefore takes time. We encourage anyone who experiences intimidation because of their employment by the UK to contact our Intimidation Investigation Unit.’