In June 2018 the defence secretary announced that 200 British visas would be made available to Afghan interpreters and their families. He praised their ‘unflinching courage’ in serving alongside British forces in situations ‘fraught with great difficulty and danger’. But fifty translators are yet to receive their visas; so far only one has been told they can come to the UK under the new rules. The MoD said it is working hard to identify who is eligible for relocation, while a select committee acknowledged, ‘There is a broad consensus that the UK owes them a great debt of gratitude’. Meanwhile the interpreters are being stalked and threatened by IS and Taliban terrorists. At least six of them, including one still working with UK forces in Kabul, have been directly targeted by name through social media sites. Branded 'spies' and 'infidels', they were told to save themselves and their families by joining IS, or face being hunted down. See
Afghan interpreters need British visas
Written by David Fletcher 11 Apr 2019Additional Info
- Pray: for the Afghan families’ safety, and for the MoD to honour visa promises swiftly. (Proverbs 3:23)
- More: www.forces.net/news/afghanistan/50-afghan-interpreters-still-waiting-british-visas-ten-months-after
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