Afghan exit could see 4m f leeing to EU
AS many as f our million men f rom Afghanistan could travel to Britain and other EU nations along migrant routes if the West abandons the war-ravaged country, the Defence Secretary has warned.
Sir Michael Fallon admitted the UK and Nato cannot pull troops out of Afghanistan because the terrorist groups that existed there when soldiers deployed in 2001 ‘still pose a threat’.
As the Ministry of Defence considers sending more troops, Sir Michael warned that if Afghanistan collapses, Europe ‘will feel the consequences, very directly’. He also raised the prospect of servicemen remaining there for years because ‘we should stay until the job is done’.
His comments mark a dramatic shift from those of former prime minister David Cameron, who in 2013 declared that the mission in Afghanistan was accomplished. They could be viewed as Sir Michael paving the way for the Government to step up its role in the region.
Just over a week ago, Armed Forces minister Mike Penning said the Government was considering sending more troops to the country.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Sir Michael said: ‘If it was right to go in, it has to be not right to leave before the job is done as well as we can do it.’
UK ground troops pulled out of Afghanistan at the end of 2014. At the time Sir Michael said no combat soldiers would be deployed again ‘under any circumstances’. There are, however, 500 UK training troops and security personnel providing assistance in the capital, Kabul.
MoD sources said last night discussions about sending more people referred to trainers and there were no plans to send combat troops.
Sir Michael told diplomats and military figures at the weekend that the UK and Nato had to keep supporting the country.
He said: ‘There are transnational terrorist groups in Afghanistan that wish us harm.
‘If this country collapses, we here will feel the consequences, very directly. There could be three to four million young Afghan men sent out by their villages to migrate westwards.’
He added: ‘There are Nato values here, this is a democracy we helped establish. That government has asked for our help and we should stay with it as long as we can until that job is done.’