The UK has announced it will relocate thousands more Afghans, mostly interpreters, who worked for the British military and the UK government.
As international troops prepare to leave the country, the government says it expects to resettle more than 3,000 Afghans including their families amid fears for their safety.
They will join 1,300 who have already been resettled in the UK.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it was “only right” to offer relocation, or they may “be at the risk of reprisals” from the Taliban, with UK troops who served in combat operations in Helmand in 2014 being among the most vocal in their support of protective measures.
An Afghan interpreter working with Australian Defence Force personnel in 2009 in Sorkh Lez, Afghanistan Source: AAP
British Home Secretary Priti Patel has called the resettlement operation a “moral obligation” saying the government will “recognise the risks they faced in the fight against terrorism and reward their efforts.”
The withdrawal is underway after US President Joe Biden called for an end to “America’s longest war” and pledged to withdraw US forces by 11 September.
Pressure mounts on Australia
Meanwhile, the Australian government faces increasing pressure to urgently process the visa applications of several Afghan interpreters who worked for the Australian Defence Force.
Afghans who assisted Australia have pled for help as troop withdrawals loom, with veterans saying the federal government should help them, to avoid a “catastrophic moral failure” if they are left behind to die.
Retired ADF major Stuart McCarthy, who did two tours of Afghanistan, said there is a window of opportunity in the next few months before the final withdrawal of international troops is completed in September to rescue "as many locally engaged employees as possible".
"To fail at this stage to evacuate them, or at least make the best possible effort that we can as a country - that will just be a catastrophic moral failure on our country's behalf," he told SBS News.
The Department of Home Affairs has previously said the applications are being "urgently processed".
"Visa applications from certified LEE are afforded the highest processing priority within the Humanitarian Program but applicants must still meet rigorous health, character and national security requirements."
