London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

MPs trying to rescue more than 7,000 people trapped in Afghanistan

MPs trying to rescue more than 7,000 people trapped in Afghanistan

Figure dwarfs 800 to 1,100 Afghans eligible for resettlement defence secretary said would be left behind

MPs are scrambling to rescue more than 7,000 constituents and family members trapped in Afghanistan, according to figures provided to the Guardian, dwarfing the only estimates provided by the government of the number left behind.

Scores of Labour MPs have been inundated with pleas for help from thousands of constituents whose relatives have been left stranded since the UK’s final emergency airlift left Kabul following the country’s rapid fall to the Taliban. Among them are children, disabled relatives and people who face persecution due to their work, all with potential eligibility to be resettled in Britain.

The MPs recorded multiple, harrowing cases of UK residents reporting family members having been abducted or killed in the past week, and others whose front doors have been marked with a red cross by the Taliban. The cases of at least 5,000 at-risk people have been passed to the Foreign Office but only a fraction have received a reply, MPs said.

On Friday the defence secretary estimated that 800 to 1,100 Afghans who had worked with Britain and were eligible for resettlement would fail to make it out by air. The government has not disclosed how many others it believes to be eligible for resettlement, though Whitehall sources have suggested the figure could be about 9,000.

Data collated from about 50 Labour MPs shows they are trying to help more than 7,000 people escape. The true tally being dealt with by Westminster’s 650 MPs is likely to be significantly higher.

Lisa Nandy, the shadow foreign secretary, accused the government of putting lives at risk. “Even now, weeks after Kabul fell, it is appalling that the government still has no idea how many Afghans who assisted us are eligible to come to the UK, no clear criteria for determining who is eligible and no accurate picture of the numbers of Britons left behind.”

A government source said the airlift from Kabul, known as Operation Pitting, was intended to remove UK nationals and Afghans eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap), aimed primarily at those who had worked with UK forces. “It would disingenuous to say that all those still in Afghanistan were left behind by Operation Pitting,” they said.

Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, said her office had been trying to evacuate more than 400 people, including three boys aged under 11 whose father had been killed by the Taliban, and they were stranded without their mother outside Kabul airport.

Phillips said she was aware of only six who had made it out of Kabul, despite sending details of hundreds of cases to government inboxes. “If you take the eligibility criteria, it’s got to be thousands and thousands that haven’t been got out,” she said.

Ministers have said that more than 15,000 people have been evacuated by the UK since 14 August. Those eligible included British nationals and their dependants, Afghans who worked for the UK government and military and their dependants, and other Afghans who are at particularly high risk, such as activists and those who worked in law enforcement.

Among members of these at-risk groups still thought to be stranded are the offspring of a lieutenant colonel in the Afghan army, who is in hiding in Kabul, and a former contractor who helped US intelligence services and whose family did not get out. These cases are among the many that have been flagged to the Foreign Office, though last week thousands of such emails were going unread, the Observer reported.

The London borough of Ealing is home to the biggest population of Afghan nationals in the UK. James Murray, Labour MP for Ealing North, said his office was handling 230 active cases but that this was believed to involve more than 1,400 people stuck in Afghanistan. The government had responded to six of his cases, he said.

Preet Gill, shadow international development secretary, confirmed she is trying to help more than 250 stranded Afghan relatives of her Birmingham Edgbaston constituents in addition to 240 Afghan Sikhs who were approved to fly to the UK by the Foreign Office but were not issued papers.

She said: “I’ve got 50 cases involving 250 children. It has been absolutely heartbreaking. I’ve had calls in my office from people from Afghanistan, desperately pleading for assistance. There’s 240 Afghan Sikhs who made it to the airport, and then there was firing. I was on the phone with them. I was hearing the distress in their voices. They had to turn back and they are now seeking refuge back into the Gurdwara.”

Labour’s East Ham MP, Stephen Timms, said his office has been contacted by 114 individuals, some of whom are British constituents trapped in Kabul while others are UK residents who want help getting family to safety.

“Between them, they are asking for assistance to help about 600 people to come to the UK,” he said. “There are a lot of Afghan families where the father has got indefinite leave to remain here, or maybe is actually a citizen here, but his wife and their children are in Afghanistan. Most Labour MPs seem to be up to their eyeballs in scores of these cases, particularly in London.”

In Bolton, MP Yasmin Qureshi’s office was helping 86 constituents, with many asking for assistance for at least five relatives although some involved families of 15 trapped in Afghanistan.

Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow leader of the Commons, said: “Everyone appreciates it’s a fast-moving situation, but MPs need more help and communication from the government. They had 18 months to plan for this, but it all seems so chaotic and mismanaged.”

Chris Bryant, the Labour MP for Rhondda, said the foreign affairs select committee on which he sits had so many questions about the evacuation programme and the lead-up to it that it was likely to quiz Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, several times as part of an inquiry. Raab appears for the first time on Wednesday.

The Foreign Office was approached for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×