TRIPLE VICTORY ON TRANSLATORS
■ WIN: For those who worked with our special forces ■ WIN: For those applying from outside Afghanistan ■ WIN: For those wanting minister to look at their cases
FORMER British forces interpreters living under Taliban death sentences wept with joy last night after the Daily Mail secured crucial new breakthroughs from the Defence Secretary to let them live in Britain.
In an exclusive interview, Ben Wallace confirmed that ex-Special Forces translators trapped in so-called ‘third countries’ were cleared to come here.
They had been expected to return to Afghanistan to submit their applications – a requirement that could prove fatal given their previous employment.
Last night, translators and campaigners welcomed the breakthroughs, which came as the Defence Secretary is poised to personally adjudicate in 88 highly contentious cases under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. This caseload includes interpreters facing reprisals from the Taliban who were previously rejected under ARAP, and some who were ‘terminated’ by British forces for minor offences.
Mr Wallace, who in recent months has taken action that will see thousands of vulnerable Afghans brought to Britain, told the Mail he would look at these individuals ‘with a sympathetic eye’ given the country’s dramatically deteriorating security situation.
The Taliban has won a series of victories following the withdrawal of US and UK troops.
Since the new ARAP guidelines were launched in April, 1,400 Afghans – including more than 300 families – have arrived in the UK on nine specially chartered ‘freedom flights’. A further 14 flights, carrying around 1,700 more Afghans, are due to arrive in the UK in the coming weeks.
Following the latest concessions won by the Mail, interpreters who worked for Special Forces will be able to come to Britain. They were previously rejected under the ARAP scheme due to issues with their contracts.
They worked at Camp Juno, home to the elite Task Force 444, which worked on top-secret operations that included running spies inside the Taliban. The refusal to grant sanctuary to around a dozen men enraged many UK commanders who recognised their remarkable bravery and skill.
The Camp Juno interpreters will be joined by translators previously trapped in ‘third countries’.
Having fled Afghanistan, they felt it was too dangerous to return there to apply for sanctuary – but this stipulation has now been revoked. Mr Wallace said: ‘We have
‘Look with a sympathetic eye’
now looked into these cases and we are in a position to bring these people back. I will be putting my signature to a list of those Camp Juno interpreters on Monday.
‘I think six have been approved and six are pending.
‘This was a long process because there was not much paperwork to support their applications and we were required to find British officers who had worked with these interpreters to vouch for them.
‘We have also now changed the law to ensure Afghans are no longer required to go back to the country to submit their paperwork. Credit for this initiative should go to the Home Office. There are around 20 cases which can proceed following this change.
‘This coming week I will also adjudicate personally on 88 contentious cases, including applicants who were previously rejected by ARAP or were terminated from service for a minor offence. I will look at these cases with a sympathetic eye and an understanding of the perilous situation many of them are in and their contribution to us. But I must balance that, as will the Home Secretary, with protecting British security.’ Last night an interpreter trapped in Greece thanked the Government and the Mail for the removal of ARAP criteria which meant he would have had to return to Afghanistan to submit his application.
Nabi, 35, who has lived there as a refugee since 2018, is one of 20 former translators stuck in Europe. Others are thought to be living in India, Pakistan and Australia. Nabi, who has suffered death threats, said: ‘This is beautiful and uplifting. This solution could save
the lives of my family.’ The moves were also welcomed last night by retired Major General Charlie Herbert, a former commander of UK forces in Helmand who has campaigned for more interpreters to come to Britain.
He said: ‘I am absolutely delighted with this decision. It has taken too long to come, and only serves to highlight the injustice of rejecting those who were employed on third party contracts. I am so grateful to the Daily Mail for their support to these men. I am also grateful to the Defence Secretary and Home Secretary for their support – they have done far more than their predecessors.
‘But there is still so much more to do; not least for those dismissed and those who the MoD considers to have been in nonexposed roles. The Taliban make no such distinction.’ Last week dozens of former British commanders wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister asking him to expand the ARAP scheme and warning that the UK would face ‘dishonour’ if any of its former translators were killed by the Taliban.
Seven ex-Coalition translators are feared to have been murdered by the militants this year.
But Mr Wallace hit back, suggesting they should share the blame for any ARAP issues because his officials are being forced to adjudicate on cases involving incomplete files and a lack of clarity over the reasons why translators were dismissed.
UK forces ‘terminated’ the employment of 35 per cent of its translators, in many cases without due process or the right of appeal. The Defence Secretary said: ‘Funnily enough, the people in charge of some of those processes were some of those who wrote that letter.’
Mr Wallace also called on councils to do more to assist vulnerable Afghans. He said 34 local authorities had declined to take part in the ARAP scheme, even though it costs them nothing.
‘A shortage of housing means Afghan families will be put in big hotels, which isn’t ideal.’