The British government has paused the deportation of a group of Nepalese security guards who worked at the British embassy in Kabul and were airlifted to the UK after the Taliban's takeover. The removal of these individuals had been threatened, but it is now on hold pending further review.
Initially, some members within this group had already been granted indefinite right to live in Britain by the Home Office. However, last week 10 men from among them faced detainment during an early morning raid at their west London hotel where they were living and working in its kitchen serving food to Afghan refugees.
The government has rescued 25,000 people from Afghanistan under two resettlement schemes: the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy. Despite earlier denials that anyone with such status would be removed from Britain, recent events have brought attention back onto this matter.
Jamie Bell of Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomed this move by acknowledging that pausing deportations was a step forward; however he questioned why these men were detained initially:
As discussions continue around how best to provide support for those affected by conflict or displacement worldwide – particularly as governments navigate complex resettlement processes – updates like these demonstrate ongoing efforts towards fairness while also highlighting areas where improvements can still be made