Unveiled: the secret UK scheme that resettled thousands of Afghans
In 2022 details of around 18,000 people were made public. These people were Afghan nationals who had applied to the two resettlement routes operated by the British government. It was only in August 2023 that the Ministry of Defence became aware of the leak – the information had been posted to Facebook of all places. A super-injunction was granted. This prevented releasing information about the leak but also about the injunction itself.
The then government’s response to the leak was to quickly create the Afghan Response Route. This was a secret route to enter the UK. The government approached various individuals they felt were at risk as a result of the leak. It appears that around 1,500 people were approached. Around 900 have already entered the UK and 600 invites are pending. These numbers relate only to the principal applicant. Each applicant can bring their spouse and children with them so it appears that around 4,500 people have entered the UK and, based on these numbers, around 3,000 could still enter the UK (the 600 pending invites plus around 2,400 family members). These numbers are small in the grand scheme of things and will not have had a significant impact on net migration.
The super-injunction has been lifted as the Ministry of Defence has decided that there is no longer an elevated risk as a result of the leak. They believe the Taliban likely have the information, or similar information, and will not act solely because a person appears in the leaked information. The route is now closed although the pending invites will be honoured.
There appears to be consternation from across the political spectrum. Some are saying too many people used the scheme and their entry under a secret scheme cost billions of pounds. These numbers (deliberately?) assume that every single person on the leaked list is now in the UK – they aren’t – and then confuses (deliberately?) the cost of all Afghan resettlement schemes with the cost of the secret Afghan Response Route. Resettling at risk Afghan nationals is estimated to have cost around £7 billion. This secret scheme has contributed less than £1 billion to that total. Two misleading figures are being peddled, the numbers who entered under the secret scheme and the cost of administering the scheme. The sources using these inflated figures already seem to be harassing individuals who entered the UK on the scheme.
On the other side of the argument are those concerned that a secret scheme will, obviously, prevent eligible individuals making themselves known to the government. If the government chooses who to approach and invite, then meritorious individuals will be left behind in danger. They and their families will have no recourse as they will be unaware they could have qualified. However, it is growing clearer that the Conservative Government kept the scheme secret in large part to keep the costs off the books and the numbers who entered off the net migration figures. They appear to have been more concerned about their performance figures than keeping people safe.
The Labour government ordered a review of the scheme when they took power. The injunction was maintained to allow the review to be completed and the injunction has now been lifted as the review found there was no need to maintain the injunction or the scheme. It is important to remember that the people on the leaked list had already applied to resettlement schemes. They either would have entered under one of those schemes or been refused. Figures for the numbers affected seem to include large numbers of people who had already entered the UK under the schemes they applied for. The leaking of the list placed those still in Afghanistan at increased risk, so it is only right that the government granted entry to those deemed in risk.
Government schemes, especially under the Conservative government, have had repeated failings. It is a concern that the government operated a secret scheme but revealing the scheme and, by extension, the leak would increase the risk faced by those on the list. If the previous schemes had been properly administered (they weren’t) then, in theory, all those who would have been at risk would have already been granted entry to the UK anyway.
The outrage on the right looks desperate. False or misleading figures and costs are highlighted and the reason for the scheme is buried deep. Already the £7 billion figure appears to have gained traction along with 18,000+ entrants to the UK. The actual figures seem to be less than £1 billion and, at most, around 7,000 entrants.
The team at Latitude Law is frustrated to hear news of this secret scheme having represented a number of at risk Afghans since the Taliban takeover in 2021.