London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

Afghanistan: UK urges co-operation on safe passage for eligible Afghans

Afghanistan: UK urges co-operation on safe passage for eligible Afghans

The foreign secretary is urging his international counterparts to work together to provide safe passage for eligible people out of Afghanistan.

Dominic Raab said the Taliban - who promised that those with authorisation would be able to leave - would be judged on their actions.

All US troops have now left, ending their 20-year presence in the country.

British troops arrived home over the weekend but the government vowed to help those eligible for resettlement.

More than 15,000 people had been evacuated by the UK since 14 August.

But it is feared that about 800 to 1,100 eligible Afghans, including those who worked for the UK government, and 100 to 150 British people were unable to get on evacuation flights.

Mr Raab's comments came at a US-chaired virtual meeting for representatives from his G7 counterparts - including the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and Italy - as well as Nato and the EU on Sunday.

Turkey and Qatar - considered to have more influence over the Taliban than Western nations - also attended.

After the meeting, Mr Raab tweeted that he had spoken about the need for a "unified approach" towards Afghanistan.

"We're working to allow continued safe passage of vulnerable Afghans, fight terrorism, secure humanitarian access and preserve regional stability," he added.

The Foreign Office said Mr Raab had emphasised the "importance of working with like-minded partners" on safe passage and exit arrangements for eligible Afghans remaining in the country.

"He affirmed Taliban assurances that foreign nationals and Afghan citizens with travel authorisation will be allowed to depart the country, but underlined we must judge them on their actions, and whether people are allowed safe passage to leave."

He also highlighted the need to work "with a range of international partners in order to exercise the maximum moderating influence on the Taliban".

Mr Raab said preventing Afghanistan becoming a haven for terrorists was a priority, along with stability in the region and the need to protect human rights, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The UN Security Council adopted a draft resolution on Monday evening, urging the Taliban to ensure safe passage to those wanting to leave Afghanistan and not to allow it to become a base for terrorism.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the resolution "makes clear that the international community stands with Afghans".

"There can be no return to repression or terror," he said. "We will push as one voice for safe passage, humanitarian access and respect for human rights."

The resolution, drafted by the UK and France, was passed with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions, from China and Russia.

Barbara Woodward, UK ambassador to the UN, told the meeting that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan also requires "urgent attention" and that the progress made in the last 20 years - including safeguarding human rights - must be protected.

"This resolution lays down a marker that the international community will be watching closely," she said.

'Willing to engage'


Foreign Office minister James Cleverly told the BBC the UK was "willing to engage" with the Taliban - but he could not give "absolute assurances" to those left behind.

"If [the Taliban] start acting like a government, if they start facilitating both internal travel and exiting from Afghanistan, then we will engage with them on that basis," he said.

"But of course what we are not able to do, what no country is ever really able to do, is give an absolute cast-iron guarantee."

Labour's shadow foreign affairs minister, Stephen Kinnock, said the government had been "asleep at the wheel" when it came to getting people out of Afghanistan.

"We have to now face the reality, unpalatable as it is, that some cooperation is going be required. What that means is cooperation with conditions," he said.

For those remaining in the country, Afghanistan could be on the brink of humanitarian disaster if international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are forced to pull out, former international development secretary Rory Stewart warned.

"The Afghan government, which is now obviously the Taliban government, is running out of money," he said. "It's going to be very difficult to keep the water supply and electricity going. Much of the healthcare and education in the country is delivered by foreign NGOs and agencies."

What happens to Afghan refugees coming to the UK?


*  Arrivals on official flights enter a 10-day Covid quarantine in a hotel
*  Government officials and local authorities are trying to find them permanent homes
*  A shortage of suitable accommodation means many will be placed in hotels
*  Some will get refugee status and can live in the UK permanently
*  Others will get a five-year visa to live and work in the UK - and can then apply for permanent residence
*  Afghans arriving independently will enter the normal system for asylum claims - which has a backlog of 70,000 people
*  These people cannot settle, or work, while their claims are considered

The talks come after survivors of a US drone strike targeting a suicide bomber told the BBC the attack ended up killing 10 members of one family, including six children.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said they were "not in a position to dispute" the reports of civilian casualties and they were "assessing and... investigating".

He said there had been a "very real, a very specific and a very imminent threat" to Kabul airport from IS-K (Islamic State Khorasan Province), IS's Afghan affiliate, ahead of Sunday's strike.

The US had been on high alert since a suicide bomber killed more than 100 people outside the airport last Thursday. Among the dead were two British nationals, and the child of a British national.


The final flights bringing British troops are arriving in the UK


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
×