The unfolding crisis in Afghanistan is devastating and like so many people, I find it very difficult to watch.
There is an urgent need to support men, women and families, many of whom are hiding and in fear of their lives following the Taliban taking control of the country. This work is already underway and efforts to give safe passage here to those who worked alongside our UK military commenced many months ago. We must, of course, go faster and do more with the is renewed urgency as the Taliban have grown in strength after the United States’ chaotic rush to withdraw from Afghanistan. The UK has remained to help resettle people where necessary as I have set out briefly below.
Thank you to the Stroud constituents who have contacted me about this matter. So far, I have received just under 200 emails from local people who are naturally extremely worried about what is happening. I am involved in regular meetings with the Defence Secretary, the Foreign Secretary, and the Home Secretary to discuss these matters and share your views.
I am also working with an incredible local gentleman who is using his international expertise and business experience in Afghanistan to try to help families there. I will fight for those families as they are clearly at risk following their efforts to improve the lives of others.
If I could safely share the stories of the Afghan families that I have been trying to help I would as it brings home the need to help. I personally believe that with careful planning and local authorities coming forward, the UK can find ways to support families in need on an urgent basis. They cannot wait years as the Taliban are already searching for them now.
Upon contacting our local councils about resettlement opportunities, I am reassured that we can play a pivotal role in providing support for Afghan families in Gloucestershire.
Sadly, I know that our veterans are currently feeling a particular sense of depression and despair. I have spoken to many recently and my own brother served in Afghanistan tours. The thought that some of the Afghanistan nationals and local contractors who worked with our UK troops are now left to deal with the Taliban is hugely distressing. Devastatingly, 457 of our troops died in the two decades of combat in the country and many more were injured.
My MP colleagues who have served in the forces themselves have spoken movingly about the service and sacrifice of our armed forces. No matter what has happened recently and that the chaotic withdrawal is not the outcome we wanted, it is due to our British troops’ efforts that the lives of women and girls in the region were improved, 3.6m girls are in education and politics was opened up, including to female politicians. More than anything, our troops gave hope to a country that had previously lived with terror. I join my colleagues in urging our armed forces to hold their heads up high.
The veterans and local people that I have spoken to in the last few weeks share my belief that the UK should be doing absolutely everything we can to support Afghanistan nationals. As it stands, we have arranged the safe passage of 2052 Afghan nationals, 306 British passport holders and a further 2,000 nationals are in process.
The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary have made it clear that their priority is to help Afghanistan. We have arranged for 900 British troops to travel to Afghanistan to bring order to the airport area and process visa applications. Even with the urgency, I am sure that most people agree care must still be taken to assess immigration applications and protect the security of the UK.
The Prime Minister recalled parliament to consider the issues and announced that a new Afghanistan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme has been created to resettle 20,000 refugees with 5,000 to be settled here in the first year. This is in addition to the 5,000 Afghans we expect to relocate this year under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy after they worked with the UK military and in addition to the wider aid that is being provided.
The Prime Minister himself intervened in issues surrounding visas for Afghan students and the UK Ambassador has stayed behind to help people get out.
Notwithstanding the immediate pressure to ensure people are safely able to leave Afghanistan, there are obviously significant concerns about the country reverting to terror and what that means to the region. The threat that the Taliban poses to women and girls in the country is sadly extremely acute too.
The Taliban are claiming to have changed but we must look at what they are doing rather than listen to what they are saying. In my view, it is imperative that we have a coordinated and concerted effort from the international community in the coming months to stand against civil war, tackle the extremist threat and ruthless interpretation of Sharia law while addressing this humanitarian emergency in Afghanistan.
I will continue to work on local cases and on behalf of Stroud residents in this area.
