Labour have criticised Tory ministers for having a “public scrap” over the fate of Afghan special forces soldiers who fought with the British, and have called on the government to bring them to safety in the UK.
Shadow armed forces minister Luke Pollard has urged ministers to ensure members of two elite units, known as The Triples, are given refuge for helping Britain in its war against the Taliban.
Soldiers in the two units, Commando Force 333 and Afghan Territorial Force 444, were trained and paid by Britain and worked “shoulder-to-shoulder” with UK forces in the war in Afghanistan.
The Independent revealed in a joint investigation, with newsroom Lighthouse Reports and Sky News, that some of the commandos had been tortured or murdered by the Taliban after being denied sanctuary in Britain by the Ministry of Defence.
A rift has emerged in government over the fate of the Afghan soldiers, with different departments at odds over how many would qualify for relocation to the UK. Defence minister James Heappey had played down the help that could be offered when he spoke to MPs last week, saying that the soldiers were “not automatically in scope for relocation”.
Shadow armed forces minister Luke Pollard said ‘we should honour the commitments made to Afghans’— (PA)
Two days later, veterans minister Johnny Mercer and security minister Tom Tugendhat seemingly contradicted Mr Heappey and argued that the Afghan special forces should receive sanctuary in the United Kingdom.
Mr Pollard has now written to Mr Heappey asking him to clarify the government’s position, and backed Mr Mercer and Mr Tugendhat’s push to help the soldiers.
In the letter that has been shared with The Independent, he said: “Can you now please clarify which position on the Triples and the Arap (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) scheme is official government policy: the one you set out to the Commons on Monday, 11 December; or the one expressed by the Minister for Veterans on 13 December in the Commons, shared by the Security Minister? They cannot both be right.”
Veterans minister Johnny Mercer said he would do ‘everything I can’ to bring the Triples to the UK— (PA)
He continued: “I encourage you to do all you can to ensure the Triples are brought to safety. I understand other Nato members have brought personnel from similar units to their own countries and given the high level of public support for these troops, why can the UK not do the same?”
The letter comes as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer showed support for British troops stationed in a visit to Estonia on Thursday.
A YouGov poll found that 51 per cent of Britons think that members of the Triples should be allowed to settle in the UK, compared to only 19 per cent who think that they should not.
This included Tory voters who backed their relocation by 48 per cent in favour compared to 26 per cent against.
Mr Pollard criticised the “contradiction of positions and confusion between ministers”, adding: “A public scrap between the Ministry of Defence and the Office of Veterans Affairs is unhelpful.”
He said there was “strong cross-party support for the Triples to be given sanctuary in the UK” and asked Mr Heappey to update MPs in the Commons on the situation in the New Year.
Armed forces minister James Heappey said ‘not everyone will be eligible [for relocation] even if they worked for the Afghan security forces’— (PA)
Colonel Simon Diggins, former defence attaché in Kabul, said: “The case for admitting the Triples should be cast iron and irrefutable. Not only were they working directly in support of the UK government’s objectives; they were paid directly by us.
“Because of the nature of their roles they are also especially at threat by the Taliban. I strongly support the cross-party calls, including from government ministers, for the Triples to be admitted without delay: lives, literally, depend on it.”
Major General Charlie Herbert, who worked with the Triples in Afghanistan, said: “No other Afghan forces were more closely aligned to the UK armed forces during the war in Afghanistan than CF333 and ATF444. Without their contribution, it is probable that many more British servicemen and women would have been killed or injured between 2003 and 2021.
“Given the real, proven and ever-present threat of retribution and retaliation by the Taliban, it is incumbent on the UK to provide them with the sanctuary that they so desperately deserve and need.”
A government spokesperson said that “the UK government’s offer under Arap is one of the most generous of any country”.
They added: “We have worked incredibly hard to bring over 14,300 people to safety through the scheme, but not everyone who served alongside British forces will be eligible.
“Each Arap application is assessed individually and in accordance with published policy, and we do not automatically make a decision on eligibility based on a job role.”
