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UK sets new limits on Afghan relocation, ends evacuation assistance
The National Audit Office warned in March that it could take nearly three more years to complete relocations unless sped up.
Afghan families approved for resettlement in Britain will now have to get to the UK without assistance, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard told MPs in a written statement that around 9,000 Afghans still awaiting relocation will no longer receive help to leave the country. Instead, they are expected to “make their own way to a third country when they are able to do so,” where visa and housing support will be provided until 2028.
He said some eligible families had already moved independently to countries such as Pakistan, and the decision followed evidence of “successful self-moves,” reassessment of risk, and cost considerations. He added that in-country relocation support was no longer sustainable.
The National Audit Office warned in March that it could take nearly three more years to complete relocations unless sped up. The schemes closed to new applicants in July last year, shortly before a major MoD data breach affecting applicants was revealed.
The Afghan Resettlement Programme had aimed to complete relocations by March 2029, but a new deadline of December 2028 has been set, after which all support will end. The British government is also winding down temporary accommodation, with six hotels still in use and two due to close shortly.
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Muttaqi and Iranian representative discuss expansion of bilateral relations
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met on Wednesday with Mohammad Reza Bahrami, a representative of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of the eighth meeting of the Moscow Format and discussed ways to expand bilateral relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two sides exchanged views on Afghanistan-Iran relations, regional developments, and ways to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Muttaqi expressed appreciation for Iran’s engagement with Afghanistan and its constructive participation in regional meetings, emphasizing the need to further expand relations between Kabul and Tehran.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Bahrami stressed the importance of relations between the two countries and shared Iran’s views on regional cooperation, stability, and expanding economic engagement between Afghanistan and Iran.
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British special forces could face prosecution over alleged Afghanistan crimes
The UK Ministry of Defence identified material suggesting that British service personnel may have committed “serious offences” in Afghanistan, including possible murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, a High Court hearing in London was told.
The information was referred by UK Special Forces (UKSF) to the Defence Serious Crime Command earlier this year, The Independent reported.
According to the court, any criminal investigation into the allegations has been paused pending the outcome of the Afghanistan Inquiry.
The inquiry, chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, is examining allegations that UK special forces unlawfully killed people during operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, as well as claims of a subsequent cover-up.
It is also investigating allegations of inadequate investigations by the Royal Military Police.
The latest court proceedings relate to a senior British soldier, identified only as Witness IIA126, who is challenging the inquiry’s decision to restrict his and his lawyers’ access to certain evidence.
His lawyer, Kate Grange KC, argued that the restrictions had prevented the soldier from reviewing evidence concerning an allegation that a person was shot in the head while possibly asleep during a “deliberate detention operation.”
The inquiry is opposing the legal challenge, arguing that the restrictions were necessary to protect the identities of witnesses whose evidence was considered highly sensitive.
Jonathan Glasson KC, representing the inquiry, told the court that the discovery of material potentially indicating serious offences did not mean that any particular individual would necessarily face criminal charges.
The inquiry is expected to continue its examination of the allegations, with a written judgment on the latest legal challenge due at a later date.
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Afghan agriculture minister in Tashkent for international forum
Afghanistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Attaullah Omari, has arrived in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, to attend an international forum on food security and sustainable development.
Omari is visiting Tashkent at the invitation of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture and is scheduled to participate in the Global Technical Forum for Landlocked Countries on Food Security and Sustainable Development Goals, being held from October 7 to 8.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture said the visit will provide an opportunity to discuss expanding bilateral and regional cooperation with Uzbekistan in agriculture, irrigation, livestock, trade and investment.
The Afghan delegation is also expected to meet officials and representatives from participating countries to discuss agricultural exports, trade, investment opportunities, and the exchange of technical knowledge and expertise.
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