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The commando that lost two members in the Afghan war says it helped us, we have to help it settle here. Royal Navy hero Ben McBean talks about Prince Harry A former naval commando hailed as a hero by Prince Harry has backed our campaign to grant asylum to an Afghan fighter pilot facing deportation to Rwanda.
Ben McBean, who suffered a double amputation after being seriously injured during a tour of Afghanistan in 2008, said he saw no reason for "anyone to have a problem" with Afghan veterans having a new home in Britain.
Former army chief General Lord Richard Dannatt, First Sea Lord Admiral West and former NATO chief Lord Robertson are among those who have backed the campaign.
“We were trying to help and there were some good stories, but the reality is that we are back to square one; in fact, the situation in Afghanistan could be even worse,” he continued.
“It's sad to say, but I can't take anything positive out of it. What would be positive is that someone who helped us could settle here and lead a normal life.
Prince Harry with Ben McBean
Speaking of the Afghan veterans, he said: “It was the Taliban against the other side. They weren't trying to kill me other than an Afghan who was on our side. They were just trying to kill anyone who was against them.
“That's why they get the same respect, the same credit. So when Harry came to Afghanistan, everyone respected him more. Because he put himself in the same line of sight as everyone else.
“All those who opposed them [the Taliban], who were on our side, everyone respected them: the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police, the Afghan Air Force. Some of the elders we talked to who were fighting for their land, everyone respected them.
Marine McBean, who was seriously injured while on patrol in the desert, has been described by Prince Harry as a "true hero" after sharing a flight home from the war zone in Afghanistan.
"What if you said, would you mind if they came here to have a new life now because they are in danger there?" I don't see why anyone would have a problem with that.
He said the current policy around small boats meant it was the "worst time" for Afghans who had been promised help trying to win UK backing.
Marine McBean meets Prince Harry after his tour of Afghanistan
Referring to those who resort to illegal routes to get to the UK, he said: "The way we've just left, people have been left behind, forgotten, they're hiding, there, so it's almost impossible for them to get here safely. ”. I'm not surprised what happened, unfortunately.
Afghan pilot threatened with deportation to Rwanda
He said: “What safe and legal path was there after the fall of Afghanistan? You entered Afghanistan on the first day as a friendly and brotherly country, and now this bad day has come. [The UK government should] keep the promise of friendship and cooperation that it made and keep it.
“The American and British forces have forgotten us. We worked with them and helped them as if they were our brothers. We are not Talib, we are not Isis, so why leave us like this?
Piers Morgan has become the latest supporter to endorse our campaign, saying deportation would be a "total failure of moral duty."
"This man is a hero who helped us fight the Taliban. His family is in Afghanistan. We have a moral obligation as a country to save this man and take care of his family," Morgan said during an interview on his TalkTV show on Wednesday. at night, while encouraging Prince Harry, who also fought the Taliban, to do whatever he can to support the campaign.
Later, he directly appealed to Rishi Sunak to help the pilot. Sharing a clip from his TalkTV programme, Morgan said the case was a scandal that "shamed Britain", before urging the prime minister: "Do the right thing and give this hero a new life here, then bring his family back. also". It's the least we can do after all you've done for us.
Former international development secretary Rory Stewart called the pilot story "deeply shocking" because it went against promises made to Afghans. He said the UK was "running from our responsibilities to the Afghans who risked their lives to fight alongside us".
General Sir Richard Barrons, a former head of joint operations who served in Afghanistan, said the pilot's journey through other countries to Britain "was not surprising given the mess the government created with the evacuation process."
Colonel Simon Diggins, who served as defense attaché in Afghanistan, said: "It is appalling that this man who was in our allied forces should be treated in this way.
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Prince Harry with Royal Marine Ben McBean at HM Devonport naval base, Plymouth
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