Thousands of Afghans who worked with British troops could be stranded as the Taliban advances in the country.
Labour accused ministers of an “unforgivable dereliction of moral duty” as it was reported that about 7,000 Afghans had helped British soldiers but only 2,800 people had been allowed into Britain so far. That figure included the former employees’ family members, so the number granted permits would be much lower.
The Ministry of Defence refused to give a breakdown of the figures. Defence sources said that some of the 7,000 Afghans had already died, fled the country or wanted to stay.
In an email seen by The Times a member of the unit assessing cases at the British embassy in Kabul said that the “very small” team was dealing with “vast amounts” of applications involving complex issues.
This has resulted in interpreters facing long delays to their applications and confusion over when they are expected to leave the country.
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The government has faced criticism from more than 45 former military personnel and officials for denying sanctuary to ex-interpreters if they were dismissed for incidents deemed “serious” or employed indirectly, such as by contractors.
Ministers have also come under fire for not putting enough resources into the unit. The government has pointed out, however, that it is the only country to have a dedicated team assessing applications in Kabul.
General Sir Nick Carter, head of the armed forces, acknowledged that the UK had a “huge moral responsibility” to the Afghans who helped British troops and said there was no cap on the numbers allowed entry.
Government schemes to allow interpreters into the UK have changed repeatedly over the years under pressure from campaigners. Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, changed the rules so that more families were accepted. He has pledged to “personally review” all the cases of those interpreters and other local staff.
Dozens of interpreters and other Afghans have come forward to say that they have been abandoned to the Taliban, which is going door-to-door asking for “infidels”. Stephen Morgan, the shadow armed forces minister, said that the government was failing Afghan staff who risked their lives.
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Oliver Bradbury, a former captain in the British army, said that soldiers who had served in the country felt a “sense of abandonment and guilt”. He added: “We invested heavily in Afghanistan as young men and women, some of us paid with our blood, sadly some with their lives. Those bonds we had with our interpreters were particularly close.”
Mohammed Wardeck, a translator with the Lancashire Rifles in Helmand from 2008 to 2011, fled the country in 2015 after receiving death threats.
The British embassy in Kabul confirmed that he and his family were eligible for the scheme in March but he is still stranded, homeless in Greece. His wife and children remain in Takhar province, surrounded by the Taliban.
He said: “If I need to be in Afghanistan to save my wife I will risk my life. I have already risked my life many times for the British army.”
A government official said: “Our Afghan relocation policy is one of the most generous in the world. As we continue to accelerate the pace of relocations, hundreds more will follow.”
