Afghan students who had their exchange programme cancelled will be allowed into the UK in a government U-turn.
The 35 Chevening Scholars were told on August 6 that their studies in Britain would be delayed by a year, due to a lack of staff in the UK embassy to Kabul.
But the decision triggered alarm from two former Cabinet ministers and fears the students could become a target for the Taliban.
Tonight UK Ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow wrote to at least one of the scholars and offered UK visas for them, as well as their immediate family.
The Mirror understands the UK government is looking at extending the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) to cover the students. Crucially this means they could be removed on UK military flights.
“They are in the process of being contacted and they will be sorted out as soon as possible”, a government source said today.
ARAP is designed for Afghan staff in the UK embassy, interpreters who helped the military and others to whom Britain owes a debt. It is separate to the newly-announced scheme to rehome 20,000 refugees over the coming year.
One of the students told the Mirror they had been “panicking” after the Taliban's takeover, leaving their home and hiding in an undisclosed location.
Chevening Scholarships, overseen by the UK Foreign Office, give a British education to “future leaders” from across the world.
Tory former Cabinet minister David Lidington had previously urged Boris Johnson to review the students’ situation “urgently”.
He tweeted: “This decision seems both morally wrong & against UK interests.
“Surely those accepted onto #Chevening will be at particular risk from Taliban & among "brightest & best" whom our government rightly wants to attract to UK.”
Former Tory International Development Secretary Rory Stewart added: “Deeply disappointing to hear - on top of everything - that Afghans who received Scholarships from the UK government to study in the UK this year have now been told they will not be granted visas due to "administration issues".
“Surely someone can sort this out?”
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said earlier this week: “The current circumstances in Afghanistan mean the Embassy cannot administer the parts of the programme which must be done in Kabul.
“We have therefore paused the Chevening programme there. All of this year’s scholars will be able to start their programme next year.”
