Particular Forces blocked 2,000 credible asylum claims from Afghan commandos, MoD confirms
UK Particular Forces command rejected resettlement purposes from greater than 2,000 Afghan commandos who had proven credible proof of service in models that fought alongside the SAS and SBS, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed for the primary time.
UK Particular Forces officers seem to have rejected each software from a former Afghan commando referred to them for sponsorship, regardless of the Afghan models having fought with the British on life-threatening missions towards the Taliban.
The MoD had beforehand denied there was a blanket coverage to reject members of the models – generally known as the Triples – however the BBC has not been capable of finding any proof that UK Particular Forces (UKSF) supported any resettlement purposes.
Requested if UKSF had supported any purposes, the MoD declined to reply the query.
The Triples – so-called as a result of their designations had been CF 333 and ATF 444 – had been arrange, skilled, and paid by UK Particular Forces and supported the SAS and SBS on operations in Afghanistan. When the nation fell to the Taliban in 2021, they had been judged to be in grave hazard of reprisal and had been entitled to use for resettlement to the UK.
The rejection of their purposes was controversial as a result of it got here at a time when a public inquiry within the UK was investigating allegations that British Particular Forces had dedicated conflict crimes on operations in Afghanistan the place the Triples had been current.
The inquiry has the ability to compel witnesses who’re within the UK, however not non-UK nationals who’re abroad. If resettled, former members of the Triples could possibly be compelled by the inquiry to offer doubtlessly important proof.
BBC Panorama revealed final yr that UK Particular Forces command had been given veto energy over their resettlement purposes and denied them asylum in Britain. The revelation triggered a wave of anger amongst some former members of the SAS and others who served with the Afghan models.
The MoD initially denied the existence of the veto, suggesting that the BBC’s reporting had been inaccurate, however then-Defence Minister Andrew Murrison was later pressured to inform the Home of Commons the federal government had misled parliament in its denials.
The affirmation of the greater than 2,000 rejections emerged in court docket hearings earlier this month throughout a authorized problem introduced by a former member of the Triples. Attorneys for the MoD utilized for a restriction order which briefly prevented the BBC from reporting on the related elements of the proceedings, earlier than withdrawing their software final week underneath problem.
Paperwork disclosed in court docket additionally confirmed that on the similar time the MoD was denying the existence of the veto, it already knew that each rejection choice made by UK Particular Forces was doubtlessly unsound and must be independently reviewed.
Mike Martin MP, a member of the defence choose committee and former British Military officer who served in Afghanistan, informed the BBC the rejections had been “extraordinarily regarding”.
“There may be the looks that UK Particular Forces blocked the Afghan particular forces purposes as a result of they had been witnesses to the alleged UK conflict crimes presently being investigated within the Afghan inquiry,” Martin mentioned.
“If the MoD is unable to supply any clarification, then the matter ought to be included within the inquiry,” he added.
Johnny Mercer, the previous Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View, who served alongside the SBS in Afghanistan, testified to the Afghan inquiry that he had spoken to former members of the Triples and heard “horrific” allegations of homicide by UK Particular Forces.
Mercer mentioned it was “very clear to me that there’s a pool of proof that exists throughout the Afghan [special forces] neighborhood that are actually in the UK that ought to contribute to this Inquiry”.
The MoD started a assessment final yr of all 2,022 resettlement purposes referred to and rejected by UK Particular Forces. All contained what MoD caseworkers on the resettlement scheme considered “credible” proof of service with the Triples models.
The federal government mentioned on the time that the assessment would take 12 weeks, however greater than a yr later it has but to be accomplished. Some rejections have already been overturned, permitting former Triples to return to the UK. However the MoD has refused to tell the Afghan commandos whether or not they’re in scope of the assessment or if their rejections had been upheld, until they write to the MoD.
Many are in hiding in Afghanistan, making it tough to acquire authorized illustration or pro-actively contact the MoD. Dozens have reportedly been crushed, tortured, or killed by the Taliban for the reason that group regained management of the nation.
“Though choices have been overturned, it is too late for some folks,” mentioned a former Triples officer. “The delays have triggered loads of issues. Folks have been captured by the Taliban or misplaced their lives,” he mentioned.
The officer mentioned that the Afghan commandos labored alongside British Particular Forces “like brothers” and felt “betrayed” by the widespread rejections.
“If Particular Forces made these rejections they need to say why. They need to need to reply,” he mentioned.
The MoD is now going through a authorized problem to elements of the assessment, together with the choice to not inform candidates whether or not their case is being reviewed or disclose the factors used to pick these in scope.
The authorized problem is being introduced by a former senior member of the Triples who’s now within the UK, on behalf of commandos nonetheless in Afghanistan.
“Our consumer’s focus is on his troopers left behind in Afghanistan, a few of whom have been killed whereas they await these closely delayed safety choices,” mentioned Dan Carey, a associate on the regulation agency Deighton Pierce Glynn.
“As issues stand they’ve a proper to request a reassessment of a choice they have not even been informed about. And there are others who suppose they’re a part of the Triples Evaluate when the key standards would inform them that their circumstances aren’t even being checked out.”
Attorneys appearing for the previous member of the Triples additionally closely criticised the extent of disclosure within the case by the MoD, which has not handed over any documentation from inside UK Particular Forces or authorities information in regards to the decision-making course of that led to the rejections.
In court docket filings, they criticised the “complete inadequacy” of the MoD’s disclosure, calling it an “an apparent failure to adjust to the responsibility of candour and to offer crucial clarification” of the method.
New proof that emerged final week in court docket additionally confirmed that the MoD appeared to have rejected out of hand some candidates who served with UK Particular Forces in Afghanistan after 2014 – when Britain’s standard armed forces left Helmand province – with out even referring them to UK Particular Forces headquarters for sponsorship.
The MoD has not defined the reasoning behind the coverage, which was saved secret from candidates. A spokesperson for the MoD mentioned that after 2014 the UK’s position “developed from fight operations to primarily coaching, advising and helping CF 333, who had been underneath the command of the Afghan Ministry of Inside”.
However officers who served with UK Particular Forces informed the BBC that the Triples continued to assist British-led operations after 2014.
“Saying the Triples did not assist UK Particular Forces operations after 2014 is not true in any respect,” mentioned former officer who served with UKSF.
“We had a squadron of CF 333 with us. We labored intently collectively. These had been NATO targets, UK deliberate operations,” he mentioned.
The Ministry of Defence has beforehand informed the BBC: “There was no proof to recommend that any a part of the MoD has sought to forestall former members of the Afghan specialist models from giving proof to the inquiry.”
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