More than 50,000 people have joined The Independent’s call for the government to provide refuge to Afghan war heroes who served alongside British forces.
A petition was launched after we revealed the plight of an Afghan pilot who faces the threat of deportation to Rwanda after arriving in the UK by small boat, having failed to find a safe and legal asylum route.
Thousands of Afghans fled after Taliban forces seized back control of the country following the fall of Kabul in August 2021 as the Western alliance ended its two-decades-long presence there.
Half of Britons fear the UK is not doing enough to aid Afghan veterans who helped our forces, as figures show around five in six applicants are rejected from the military scheme established to give sanctuary to those in danger from the Taliban.
And just 23 per cent voters think the government is giving enough support to desperate Afghans trying to escape their home country after working with Britain, while 47 per cent want more to be done.
MPs from across the political spectrum and senior military figures described the UK’s treatment of the Afghan pilot as “indefensible”, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also calling for action.
On Wednesday The Independent’s petition calling for the government to take action surpassed 50,000 signatures, with people from across the country voicing their support for the campaign.
David Marley, deputy editor, said: “Here at The Independent, we believe that this hero – and all those who served alongside him – should be given the right to stay in the UK.
“We are calling on the government to give refuge to Afghan veterans who served alongside British forces.”
“The government must live up to its promise to all those who served alongside the British military in Afghanistan.
“Thank you for your support.”
