May 16, 2023
2 mins read

Al Kaabi: UAE promotes collective efforts for better future

A number of religious leaders in the UK this weekend called for the airman to be granted asylum in the UK and urged the government not to deport him to Rwanda…reports Asian Lite News

The defense minister has refused to help a former Afghan Air Force pilot who fought alongside British forces in his home country but is now facing deportation from the UK to Rwanda.

Asked in the House of Commons about the pilot’s case, James Heappey said the man does not qualify “in principle” for Britain’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

The pilot, whose identity has been withheld because of security fears, flew dozens of combat missions targeting the Taliban and has been described as a “patriot” by former Western coalition allies, the Independent reported.

He fled Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control of the country when Western forces withdrew in August 2021, and eventually arrived in the UK aboard a small boat that crossed the English Channel from France. He said he only did this because there was “no other alternative way” for him to reach Britain.

He subsequently applied for asylum under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy but the government said he does not qualify because he entered the country illegally from France, which is considered a safe country, and passed through other safe countries on his way to the UK.

When asked about the case by Labour Party MPs, Heappey said his department is “looking at whether or not there are any special circumstances under which the application could be approved.”

But he added: “In principle, as a member of the Afghan national security forces, rather than somebody who worked alongside the British armed forces, (the pilot) would not automatically be in scope.”

A number of religious leaders in the UK this weekend called for the airman to be granted asylum in the UK and urged the government not to deport him to Rwanda. British authorities have signed an agreement with their counterparts in Rwanda to send asylum applicants there while they await the resolution of their cases.

The pilot has written a letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in which he pleaded with the Conservative Party leader to intervene in his case and told how he feels “forgotten” by the UK and the West.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Since 2015, we have offered a safe and legal route to the UK to almost half a million men, women and children seeking safety, including those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine, as well as family members of refugees.”

ALSO READ-Al Kaabi: UAE promotes collective efforts for better future

Previous Story

Ellwood praises UAE’s ‘quiet leadership’ securing Mideast peace

Next Story

US envoy Garcetti visits Sabarmati Ashram

Latest from -Top News

Modi Eyes Trade Deals in Maldives

PM Modi will arrive in Maldives on July 25 which would be the second and final leg of his two-nation visit, following the visit to the United Kingdom, starting Wednesday….reports Asian Lite

Russia Strikes Back at EU

The Council of the European Union approved the 17th and 18th packages of sanctions on Russia on May 20 and July 18…reports Asian Lite News Russia has significantly expanded its entry ban

PM Modi Due in UK

PM Modi’s visit to the UK, scheduled for July 23–24, comes at the invitation of British counterpart Keir Starmer and will be his fourth trip to the country….reports Asian Lite News Prime

Victory First, Then Peace?

Katz stressed the importance of meeting the war’s goals as set, primarily the return of all Israeli hostages and the surrender of Hamas….reports Asian Lite News Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said

US Brings Up Old Claim, India Pushes Back

US Raises Trump’s India-Pakistan Claim at UN; India Reaffirms Bilateral Stand…reports Asian Lite News The US brought President Trump’s May claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict to the Security Council, but New
Go toTop