"We will shift heaven and earth to help people to get out of Afghanistan. We will do everything we can"

Boris Johnson, 2021.

------------------------------------

"All 6 men who drowned in the Channel were Afghan. Afghans are running from Afghanistan because of the Taliban
They are on small boats because the U.K. government won’t open safe & legal routes for Afghans like they have for Ukrainians.
Don’t even know what to say anymore"

Peymana Assad, 2023.

#SafeRoutes

"We need to continue to speak up and stand up for our values of respect, compassion and dignity for all humans."

"Let’s not stay silent in the face of hate."

Peymana Assad.

#UKAsylumPolicy
#RefugeesWelcome
#SafeRoutes

"All I know is this: in the end good will triumph over evil.

History has shown us this. As long as there are good people willing to fight for it.

We must resist."

PeymanaAssad

#AfghanLivesMatter
#RefugeesWelcome
#SafeRoutes

Every day since the return of the Taliban in 2021, there have been at least 2,000 Afghan refugees waiting in Calais, France to cross the English Channel to the U.K.

Many of them qualify for the U.K. government's ARAP Afghan relocation scheme.

Some of them are holding U.K. Home Office letters of acceptance to the scheme in their hands.

None of them have a safe legal route to cross the channel.

#SafeRoutes
#RefugeesWelcome
#UKAsylumPolicy
#ForgottenAfghans

It may come as a surprise to some people that there is actually a safe, legal route for Afghan refugees to enter the U.K. The ARAP relocation scheme.
Though thousands of Afghans are eligible, only 6 Afghans have been allowed to enter the U.K. on this route since December 22.

They're allowed in. They're not allowed in. The Afghans are Schrödinger's Refugees.

#UKAsylumPolicy
#RefugeesWelcome
#SafeRoutes
#ForgottenAfghans

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance

Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy: further information on eligibility criteria, offer details and how to apply

GOV.UK

@ProjectFearlessness

Individuals using ARAP lose their refugee status, they have to use an online form and have to be contactable by the MoD, that is the track to get addressed by the Home Office for relocation, again they'd have to be contactable.

ARAP is only for those previously employed or contracted by HM Gov or those otherwise working with British Forces.

Because they don't have refugee status other family members can't apply later to join them they have to be on the form.

@simon_lucy
You're right. I didn't want to get into the ins and outs of the ARAP scheme because it is a bureaucratic nightmare.
Sorry, I know the wording of my post is a bit misleading about the ARAP scheme, I failed to do it justice in 500 characters, but the broader point remains.

@ProjectFearlessness

It wasn't a criticism, more just filling out with detail.

@simon_lucy Yes. Thank You. The details are pretty devilish. Anyway, I have just edited this post to say many of the refugees in Calais do qualify for the ARAP scheme rather than nearly all because that's a better description.
@simon_lucy @ProjectFearlessness
Which is disgusting. Family reuninification should be a human right but there again I doubt the UK Gov would care if it was.