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Dramatic intervention by Air Marshal Edward Stringer, commander of air operations during the Afghan conflict An Afghan pilot facing deportation to Rwanda must be offered a "safe haven" in the UK, the former head of RAF forces in Afghanistan has said. In an opinion piece based on his years of experience, Air Marshal Stringer outlined the real risk to life faced by Afghans who served alongside coalition forces.
"Many members of the Afghan forces served with distinction with us, and the Taliban will never forget it," he said.
"We owe a debt of honor to all of them and we should offer them the asylum and security we promised them in the UK, especially since we were unable to guarantee them safety and security in Afghanistan."
Air Marshal Stringer led the 904th Expeditionary Air Wing in Afghanistan in 2008, working with NATO and Afghan forces and also served as Director General of UK Joint Force Development, training the entire army.
He joins a number of growing voices supporting our campaign, including former army chief Sir Richard Dannatt, former NATO chief Lord Robertson and General Sir Richard Barrons, a former head of joint operations who served in Afghanistan, urging the government to review the case of the pilot
The Afghan pilot, who has flown dozens of missions against terrorist threats in Afghanistan, says he was "forgotten" by the British and US troops he worked with.
He wrote a letter to number 10 pleading his case after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to ask the Home Ministry to look into the matter, but has yet to receive a response.
Air Marshal Stringer led the 904th Expeditionary Air Wing in Afghanistan in 2008 working with NATO and Afghan forces.
He says he is one of many members of the Afghan forces who traveled to the UK on a small boat because they could not find a safe or legal route.
Air Marshal Stringer, who commanded RAF forces in Basra in 2007, said while many in the Defense Ministry and across government worked hard to get Afghans out of the country, many were left behind.
The Afghan pilot hopes to get his family to safety in the UK. He cannot be identified for fear of attacks on his family
He added: “The limited number of people moving through the various programs and secure routes, as well as the bureaucratic issues along the way, suggest that the system is not as integrated as it could be between departments.
“It does not surprise me that some had to take small boats to cross the English Channel to the country they served with such ease. We must pay the debt that we so clearly owe them.
The data shows that the Defense Ministry's refugee program, the Afghanistan Assistance and Relocation Policy (Arap), turned away 18,946 Afghans, while only 3,399 were deemed eligible.
Meanwhile, the Home Office's umbrella program for Afghans at risk has brought just 22 people to safety in the UK since the initial evacuation, according to government data.
"We must offer refuge to the pilot who risked his life to fight alongside us"
Air Marshal Stringer concluded: “We must provide a safe haven for the pilot who risked his life to fight alongside us. And we must be generous to all his comrades now, in his hour of need.
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Air Marshal Edward Stringer and, inset, the Afghan pilot who cannot be identified for fear of attacks on his family.
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