As reported in The Guardian, the British Council contractors still in Afghanistan are now being allowed to apply for permission to come to the UK. While on the surface this sounds like good news, it is still extremely challenging for these people, who are estimated to number over 180, to jump through the hoops to make their departure happen. Of these, 90 are classified as ‘high risk’, with another 85 at ‘very high risk’ of persecution from the Taliban.
For a start, there is the application process itself, which initially was required to be done online – not always an easy thing, especially for those in remote areas – though this has now been dropped. Then there are the actual logistics of getting out of the country. Many of former British Council employees are in hiding and fear being stopped at Taliban-controlled checkpoints.
A statement printed by the British Council in The Guardian reads: “We know our former colleagues are living in increasingly desperate circumstances, as the situation in the country continues to deteriorate. The Afghanistan relocation schemes are run by the UK Government. We have been pushing for progress with senior contacts within the UK government to ensure the earliest consideration of our former colleagues relocation applications.”
