London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 25, 2025

Britain must not desert its Afghan interpreters

Britain must not desert its Afghan interpreters

Chris Philp, the immigration compliance minister, outlines the work of the Home Office in safeguarding interpreters, while Barry Young says joined-up thinking is needed and Peter Simm highlights the danger to asylum seekers being told to relocate to Kabul

Interpreters who assisted British forces in Afghanistan have played a fundamental role, standing side by side with those on the frontline of combat. For that we owe a debt of gratitude – one that we are paying, contrary to the claims of Clive Lewis MP (I saw Afghan interpreters translate so much more than words – now they live in terror, 6 August).

There are hundreds of officials working without pause across the country and in Afghanistan to safely and quickly relocate current and former locally employed staff who often risked their lives on our behalf. They are arriving here with their families on a near-daily basis to build a new life. So far, we have enabled over 2,800 people to relocate to Britain, with 1,400 arriving over the last few weeks alone. As we continue to significantly accelerate the pace of relocations due to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, hundreds more will follow.

We are progressing applications without delay and exploring all avenues to speed up the process. This is being done alongside the indispensable checks necessary to protect national security from those who may seek to abuse our offer.

Far from the government “refusing to grant many of them a right of resettlement”, we have made numerous changes in recent weeks to accommodate more brave individuals, opening our schemes up to those who resigned, those who were dismissed for all but serious or criminal offences, those who worked for contractors, those outside Afghanistan and additional cohorts of family members. The assertion that “bureaucrats in government” are not doing enough is incorrect and offensive.

As for the allegation of racism, this is unfounded, baseless and something we do not need to dignify with a response. As a nation, we are known around the world for our commitment to justice, fairness and sense of duty, especially to those who have stood with us against despicable forces who seek to divide and destabilise. This is why as a government we are strongly committed to honouring our debt to these interpreters.

If Clive Lewis doubts us, he should speak to the thousands of Afghans now enjoying sanctuary in the UK, free from the fear of Taliban reprisal.
Chris Philp
Minister for immigration compliance and justice

*  Missing from Clive Lewis’s passionate article on Afghan interpreters was an important question: what can they do for us now? Arriving daily on our east Kent shores are boat people, and many of them are Afghans. I recently came to know one, a 14-year-old lad who arrived in a rowing boat at the end of a two-and-a-half-year journey covering 10 countries. He was 11 when a neighbour came to the family house telling his father that he had to go and fight the approaching Taliban army. His father was killed the following day. Soon, a Taliban soldier came to their home and told the boy’s mother that he would be back to take the boy to train him to be a Taliban fighter.

The frightened mother sent her son that same night on a journey to a new and better life. After travelling across 10 countries, he arrived in England earlier this year. A medical examination found his body was covered in scars from the repeated beatings he had endured on his journey – he and other refugees weren’t welcomed anywhere. One leg was found to have been broken in three places, leaving him walking with a limp. Some good news has been heard in that his mother is still alive and we believe that she is still living in the same family home – what we don’t know is the fate of his two younger brothers left behind.

He and many others like him have a lot to offer this country and the interpreters could so easily carry out a vital role teaching not just English but also Pashto, aiding their integration into a new society. All that is required is some joined-up thinking by the Home Office.
Barry Young
Margate, Kent

*  I am a solicitor who specialised in assisting and representing refugees and asylum seekers in Merseyside. I retired in April 2020, but I am still working with asylum seekers as a volunteer at Asylum Link Merseyside. I agree with Clive Lewis that Afghan interpreters who have served alongside British forces should not be deserted in their moment of greatest need.

I do, though, wish to highlight the unfortunate condition of many Afghan asylum seekers here in Britain who have been refused international protection by the Home Office and been told that while they might be at risk of persecution by the Taliban in certain areas of Afghanistan, they can safely relocate to Kabul. The withdrawal of US and UK forces from Afghanistan has left such people here in Britain in a terrible dilemma – fearing the consequences of returning to a country that might any day fall to the Taliban.

In mid-July, Sweden announced that it was stopping all deportations to Afghanistan due to the rapidly worsening situation in the war-torn country. Finland has announced a freeze on forced returns to Afghanistan. Kabul has urged European countries to halt forced deportations of Afghan migrants.

The Taliban have already started reimposing repressive laws on women in newly captured areas in Afghanistan and the United Nations high commissioner for refugees has warned of an imminent humanitarian crisis. The Taliban now claim to be in control of 85% of Afghanistan. The British government should not desert these people in their hour of need, but offer them humanity and protection.
Peter Simm
Bebington, Merseyside

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×