UK sets new limits on Afghan relocation, ends evacuation assistance

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.