A report by Hannah O’Grady, Joel Gunter, and Rory Tinman from BBC News revealed that the UK Special Forces command turned down more than 2,000 resettlement applications from Afghan commandos who had provided credible evidence of serving in units that fought alongside the SAS and SBS. Despite these Afghan units participating in high-risk missions against the Taliban, UK Special Forces officers rejected every application from former Afghan commandos seeking sponsorship.
The rejection of these applications stirred controversy as they coincided with a public inquiry investigating allegations of war crimes committed by Special Forces during operations in Afghanistan, where the Triples were known to be present. This inquiry, which could compel witnesses within the UK but not overseas, would greatly benefit from the testimony of former members of the Triples if they were resettled in the UK.
Further revelations from BBC Panorama shed light on how UK Special Forces command possessed veto power over the resettlement applications of the elite Afghan troops, denying them asylum in Britain. This decision sparked outrage among former members of the SAS and other individuals who had served alongside the Afghan units. The MoD initially refuted the existence of such a veto, but Defense Minister Andrew Murrison eventually admitted that Parliament had been misled.
Legal challenges emerged following court revelations that more than 2,000 resettlement applications had been turned down by UK Special Forces, despite doubts surrounding the legitimacy of these decisions. The UK government initiated a review of these rejected applications, but the process has been heavily delayed, leaving many former Triples in a state of limbo in Afghanistan, where they face danger and uncertainty under Taliban rule. Concerns have been raised about the lack of transparency in the MoD’s handling of the review and the criteria used for selecting applicants for reassessment
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
