According to leaked documents, applications from special forces were turned down even though some of them had strong proof of having served with the British military.
Afghan commandos participated in some of the riskiest missions of the war alongside British special forces.
According to the Ministry of Defence, an impartial review is being carried out.
Due to their support for UK Special Forces in their battle against the Taliban, personnel of Afghan Special Forces units CF 333 and ATF 444, also known as the “Triples,” were among the organizations most vulnerable to retaliation when the Taliban rose to power in August 2021.
Under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (Arap) program, they were qualified to apply for relocation to the UK; nevertheless, hundreds of their applications were turned down. The Taliban have allegedly since killed, tortured, or beaten dozens of people.
James Heappey, the minister of the armed forces, acknowledged that the decision-making process for some denials was “not robust,” but he has now announced a review of roughly 2,000 applications.
One of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) documents that Panorama obtained demonstrates that, starting at least in 2023, all Triples applications that met a minimum threshold were forwarded to UK Special Forces for sponsorship approval or refusal.
