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Iain Duncan Smith calls for 'flexibility' for Afghan vets as more conservatives call for rethinking pilot facing deportation to Rwanda Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has called for more "flexibility" in settling Afghan veterans in the UK, joining other top Conservatives in pressing the government to meet its "moral obligation" to support those who fought alongside British forces. Sir Iain said the Afghan pilot, threatened with deportation to Rwanda because he arrived on a small boat across the English Channel, should be eligible for the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (Arap) refugee programme.
“With all the schemes, flexibility is needed,” said the former minister. “It's always smart to be flexible on these things. We have established [a] safe route with the Afghan [Arap] ploy, so it should not take long to overcome the ploy.
Duncan Smith added: "If there is evidence that he is who he says he is, then I suppose the government can investigate him within existing security channels and act accordingly."
The Afghan pilot, who flew dozens of missions against the Taliban and was hailed by his US coalition forces supervisor as a "patriot of his nation", says he was "forgotten" despite his work alongside the forces. British and American.
Sir Iain's comments come as MPs criticized the Arap scheme's criteria, which state that applicants must have worked directly for the UK government, as being too narrow.
The data shows that the program turned away 18,946 Afghans, while only 3,399 were deemed eligible. The Global Witness campaign group said hundreds of Afghans who worked alongside British forces were left behind and "massively exposed".
Mr Lewis, who served in the Royal Naval Reserve, added: "However, special consideration must also be given to the genuine ex-servicemen who have been our allies in the fight against Islamic extremists."
Afghan pilot threatened with deportation
Tory MP Flick Drummond said the Afghan pilot case was "exactly why I supported the amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill", arguing that a crackdown on small boat arrivals should not prevent people from getting asylum for those they helped. to the British forces.
Ms Drummond, who served in the British Army Intelligence Corps, said: "We need to look at each case thoroughly and provide refuge for those who need our help."
Afghan veteran faces deportation to Rwanda
Labor MP Clive Lewis said the pilot's threat of deportation was "extremely bad because he is someone who risked his life alongside British forces and then was thrown to the wolves", adding: "This man clearly deserves to be here."
But Lewis, who served in the Territorial Army, warned that the case was just "the tip of the iceberg" and not exceptional, arguing that the government's plan to block asylum claims from all small boat arrivals could exclude many more. afghans.
"The very narrow parameters of the Afghan resettlement plan show that the government's rhetoric does not match reality," he said. “There are thousands more fleeing persecution who still deserve to find refuge in this country.”
Sunak said he would "ensure that the Interior Ministry investigates" the case of the Afghan pilot.
But No 10 declined to comment on the matter or say whether Sunak would reply to the letter the Afghan Air Force fighter wrote asking for help.
The Home Office also declined to say whether it would consider withdrawing the threat of deportation while it considers their asylum application, continuing to insist that it cannot comment on an individual's fate.
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