To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she is having with her counterpart in (a) Pakistan and (b) other states which may be able to support the relocation of British Council contractors who have been approved under the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme; and what her timeframe is for putting in place arrangements to enable people who are most at risk to leave Afghanistan via those third countries.
Answered on
20 June 2022
Under the third referral pathway of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), the Government will consider Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from eligible at risk British Council Contractors for possible resettlement, as well as from Gardaworld contractors and Chevening alumni. The FCDO will launch an online system on 20 June to begin accepting EOIs; this will be open until 14 August. The scheme will help those at risk in Afghanistan and the neighbouring region. Expressions of Interest from British Council contractors, and the other eligible groups, will be considered in the order in which they are received. Some will be prioritised because of the role they performed or the project they worked on, or in exceptionally compelling circumstances.
We will resettle those referred under the scheme as soon as possible after the necessary checks are completed. The UK has supported over 4,600 individuals to leave Afghanistan since the end of Operation Pitting. We are grateful to our partners, including the Government of Pakistan, for their cooperation, and we maintain close contact with all Governments in the region.