- The British government faces pressure to expedite the relocation of hundreds of Afghan commandos to the UK after failures by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) left them vulnerable to the Taliban.
- Thousands of sanctuary applications from Afghans with credible links to UK special forces (UKSF) were initially rejected, with one UKSF officer overseeing the blanket rejection of 1,585 cases in the summer of 2023.
- Ministers initially denied that the Afghan commandos, known as the Triples, were paid by the UK government but later backtracked and announced a review of 2,000 applications, with approximately 600 Afghans approved to come to the UK.
- Government lawyers have identified an additional 2,500 applications for review after the MoD rediscovered payroll data, potentially paving the way for more Afghans to be brought to safety.
- A High Court case revealed that there was a "blanket practice of automatic refusal" of applications, with a UK special forces officer's decision-making approach described as "lax and unprofessional" by the MoD.
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