The British government has made a U-turn and is allowing previously rejected Afghan soldiers to travel to the UK after reviewing neglected documents.

Afghan special forces soldiers who fought alongside British troops will now be allowed to relocate to the country following a review of previously rejected claims, the UK government has announced. After the Taliban seized power in 2021, British-trained and funded elite Afghan troops, known as “Triples”, were initially barred from traveling to the UK.

About 2,000 Afghans, including members of these special forces, had their relocation requests rejected earlier. According to Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard, the new analysis revealed that some of these denials were the result of failures in access and communication between government departments.

According to Pollard, there was no malicious intent in the initial process, but lack of access to proper digital records contributed to the errors. Many Afghan soldiers are being paid directly by the British government, which would make them eligible for resettlement, but this information was ignored in early assessments.

The government has already reversed 25% of denials, prioritizing cases of at-risk Afghans in Afghanistan, where many “three” have been targeted and some killed by the Taliban. The review initiated under the previous government is ongoing and each case is being reassessed individually.

Following the review, Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs Andrew Bowie stressed the importance of quick and fair decisions on these important claims and praised the continuity of the process.

With information: BBC