London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Military charity joins campaign to help keep Afghan veterans in UK

Military charity joins campaign to help keep Afghan veterans in UK

A British military charity has told the UK government it should “honor its commitment” to Afghan military personnel who served alongside British forces in Afghanistan.
The intervention by the Royal British Legion, which raises money for military veterans and their families in difficult circumstances, comes amid growing calls to help resettle Afghan servicemen and their families after it emerged a former Afghan Air Force pilot hailed as a “patriot” by his Western allies had been threatened with deportation from the UK to Rwanda.

The charity’s director general, Charles Byrne, told The Independent newspaper, which is running a campaign on behalf of former Afghan service personnel: “We encourage the government to promptly and fully assess those who are applying for support.

“It is vital that we remember the many Afghans who worked bravely alongside the British armed forces in Afghanistan.”

The RBL also assists those currently in the UK who were relocated under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and who came under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

The charity said it was important to “question the deportation of any Afghan who served alongside British forces in the war against the Taliban.”

The unnamed pilot, who flew more than 30 combat missions against the Taliban, traveled to the UK illegally via a small boat across the English Channel. He was threatened with deportation having previously spent time in other safe countries on the way to Britain, having found it “impossible” to reach the UK by legal means.

Byrne said: “We are proud to currently be supporting hundreds of Afghans who relocated to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and who have been designated by the Ministry of Defense as having a close UK defense connection, with everything from help getting employment to providing education and clothes for children, and we are committed to offering practical help as they resettle in their new lives in the UK.”

The pilot claims he and his comrades have been “forgotten” by the UK, telling The Independent: “We worked with them and we helped them like they were our brothers. We are not Taliban, we are not ISIS [Daesh], so why are they leaving us like this?”

Numerous senior figures across politics, the military and the media in the UK have also voiced their support for the pilot and others like him seeking safety. They include Sir Richard Dannatt, the former head of the British Army; Lord Robertson, former NATO chief; Gen. Sir Richard Barrons, former chief of joint operations; Air Marshal Edward Stringer; and Admiral Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called the pilot’s case “a disgrace,” while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised MPs he would address the case with the UK Home Office. Tobias Ellwood MP, chair of the House of Commons Defense Select Committee, also called for more to be done to help Afghan veteran refugees.

TV presenter Piers Morgan, whose brother served in Afghanistan, called on the government to “do the right thing and give this hero a new life here.”

Lord Dubs, who fled to the UK as a refugee from Europe before the Second World War, called the pilot’s case “absolutely shocking.”

Just 3,399 Afghans have been deemed eligible for relocation to the UK so far under the ARAP scheme, while the ACRS has resettled just 22 people since the initial evacuation of people from Afghanistan, according to government figures.

A government spokesperson said: “Whilst we don’t comment on individual cases, we remain committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan and so far have brought around 24,500 people impacted by the situation back to the UK.

“We continue to work with like-minded partners and countries neighboring Afghanistan on resettlement issues, and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×