More Afghan interpreters can apply for UK settlement rights

LONDON: Dozens more Afghan interpreters who served on the frontline alongside British troops can apply to move to the UK after the relocation scheme was changed, said the Ministry of Defence.

The expansion of the Ex-Gratia programme means more linguists and their families can move to Britain, adding to the 1,319 translators and their families who “have already been supported as they create new lives in the UK”, the MoD said.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Our efforts in Afghanistan simply could not have been possible without the help of brave interpreters who risked their lives to work alongside our personnel throughout the conflict.

“They did not leave us behind then, and we will not leave them behind now.” Changes announced on Saturday mean any interpreters who resigned on or after May 1 2006 with a minimum of 18 months’ service on the frontline can apply for relocation.

Previously, former employees needed to have been made redundant on or after the same date with 12 months or more service “outside the wire on the frontline”, said the MoD. Last summer, ministers were urged to speed up the security vetting of the interpreters who moved to Britain following reports that translators living in Britain faced bureaucratic delays of up to 10 years to get the necessary clearance to secure well-paid jobs with Nato forces. Some had been forced to take low-paid fast food work in the interim instead of doing the specialist work “for which they are uniquely qualified”, the House of Lords heard. Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Courageous Afghans worked side by side with our Armed Forces to defeat terrorism, risking their own lives in the pursuit of peace. In recognition of their dedication, today we are fulfilling our promise and have expanded the relocation scheme so that more brave Afghans and their families can come and build a new life in the UK.” Between May 2006 and December 2014, Afghan civilians in Helmand Province were “often the eyes and ears of British forces, and their linguistic and cultural expertise enabled the UK to work hand-in-hand with our Afghan partners and local communities while protecting British troops”, the MoD said. Set up in 2013, the Ex-Gratia scheme offered the guides a choice of relocating to the UK, five years of training and a monthly payment.