Many Members of Parliament are dealing with a lot of enquiries from constituents asking how relatives or friends in Afghanistan might be able to come to the UK.
Read the Commons Library Research Briefing here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9307/
Afghanistan
Afghanistan – information for constituents seeking help
StandardMPs’ offices are receiving a large number of requests for assistance from constituents with relatives, friends and colleagues stranded in Afghanistan.
In order to help your MP to assist you in the most efficient way, please read this quick guide: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/in-the-constituency/casework-guides/issue-by-issue/afghanistan/
Afghanistan – information for constituents seeking help
StandardContacting your MP
MPs’ offices are receiving a large number of requests for assistance from constituents with relatives, friends and colleagues stranded in Afghanistan. Please contact only your own MP. If you copy in other MPs, you will hinder their ability to help their constituents.
In order to help your MP to assist you in the most efficient way, please give them as much information as you possibly can.
About you, the constituent:
- Full name (not just initials)
- Full postal address
- email address
- telephone number
- If you are not a British national and are in the UK on a visa, please provide your Home Office reference number.
- If you are not a British national, have you ever worked for the UK Government, UK Armed Forces or British organisations in Afghanistan?
About the people you are trying to help:
Please supply as much information about each individual in Afghanistan as you possibly can:
- Full name
- Date of Birth
- Nationality
- Relationship to constituent
- Passport / travel document / identity card number
- Individual(s)’ contact details
- If they are not a British Citizen:
- Home Office reference number
- Have they already obtained a visa?
- Do they have a visa application pending (if so, please provide the reference)
- Have they ever worked for the UK Government, UK Armed Forces or British organisations in Afghanistan? If so, please give details, e.g.
- Working for the UK or Consular services
- Journalist or worked with British News Agencies
- Current of former Chevening scholar
- Member of civil society group for women’s rights
- Afghan Government Official or Judiciary
- Official working in Counter-terrorism and counter narcotics
- Employee of a charity, humanitarian organisation or NGO
Your MP will log your case and give you a reference number. Please make sure that you use this reference number in all of your future correspondence with them as it will help them to find your case more quickly.
Who is my Member of Parliament?
You can find details of your MP here: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP and you can use https://www.writetothem.com/ to contact them by email.
Other useful contacts
Commons Library Briefing Paper
Afghanistan 2021: Key resources for UK nationals and Afghans
This page summarises the schemes in place to assist British nationals and others remaining in Afghanistan. It also signposts key resources and helplines.
Support for British and non-British nationals in Afghanistan
Information from the UK Government: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/support-for-british-and-non-british-nationals-in-afghanistan
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy
24 hour helpline for constituents: crisis@fcdo.gov.uk
For people who are currently in Afghanistan, they should call the British Embassy Kabul on +93 (0) 700 102 000 or +44 (0)1908 516666 and select the option “Consular services for British nationals” as soon as possible.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance
Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme
Information for non-British Nationals in Afghanistan, or family members of a non-British National in Afghanistan
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme
If you are a non-British National in Afghanistan, or are the family member of a non-British National in Afghanistan, and in need of assistance, you should call +44 (0)2475 389980. This number is currently staffed from 09:00 to 23:00, but will become 24 hour on Monday 23 August 2021.
New number for people in the ARAP scheme to call: +93 (0) 79 290 7303
This is an Afghan mobile number but is operated by the MOD’s ARAP call centre 24/7 from London for ARAP applicants (not MPs, advocates etc).
Applicants are told to message (not ring) & the team then ring them back.
Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office Information
Online form for UK nationals left in Afghanistan to register their presence: https://www.register-afghanistan.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/afghanistan-20210828/confirm-your-presence-in-afghanistan-to-fcdo
FCDO Travel Advice on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fcdotravelgovuk
Travel advice from the FCDO https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/afghanistan
British Embassy in Afghanistan: https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-kabul
The British Embassy in Afghanistan Twitter Feed is no longer active. Please see https://twitter.com/UK4Afghanistan instead.
Home Office
Home Office Twitter: https://twitter.com/ukhomeoffice/
Information for Citizens of Other Nations
Please see this tweet from Maisie McCormack https://twitter.com/tweetsbymaisie/status/1427697988223254540 which contains contact information for the authorities in numerous countries around the world.
UNHCR website with links to different countries evacuation/support schemes and info on what refugees in third countries should do: https://help.unhcr.org/
Online safety resources for Afghanistan’s human rights defenders
https://www.accessnow.org/online-safety-resources-afghanistan/
ARAP, resettlement and family reunion – Factsheets for Afghan citizens seeking asylum in UK
Factsheets from Garden Court Chambers
House of Commons Library Research Briefings on Afghanistan
StandardParliament has been recalled on Wednesday 18 August 2021 to debate the situation in Afghanistan.
You can find relevant Commons Library research and analysis on the Commons Library website here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/type/research-briefing/
Please note that the situation in Afghanistan is fast moving and briefings should be read as correct at the time of publication.
Contacting your MP about the situation in Afghanistan
StandardWe are all deeply affected by the situation in Afghanistan and the human tragedy that we are seeing. All MPs and their staff understand that constituents are extremely anxious about their friends and relatives in Afghanistan and want to do all they can to help them.
Every MP is trying to help a lot of desperate people and only your own MP is able to help you, so if you do want to ask for assistance please email only your own MP.
If you copy in all MPs, you are actually hindering them in their efforts to help people as quickly as possible. It may feel that you are more likely to get attention if you contact lots of MPs, but this is not the case.
If you are actively seeking assistance for your relatives, please read this page: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/in-the-constituency/casework-guides/issue-by-issue/afghanistan/
Information relating to the developing situation in Afghanistan
StandardAs the situation in Afghanistan develops, w4mp is trying to obtain hotline contact details to assist MPs’ offices. The hotlines list has been updated this morning and will be updated each time new information is received.
Please let w4mp know if you have any contact details or other useful information which is not on the list and we will update it as quickly as possible.
Members of the public can look at the travel advice here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/afghanistan
There is a 24 hour public helpline – crisis@fcdo.gov.uk
For people who are currently in Afghanistan, they should call the British Embassy Kabul on +93 (0) 700 102 000 or +44 (0)1908 516666 and select the option “Consular services for British nationals” as soon as possible.
Further information about the British Embassy in Kabul can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-kabul and you can follow its Twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/UKinAfghanistan
The House of Commons Library has produced a research briefing – ‘Resettlement scheme for locally employed civilians in Afghanistan’ which can be found here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9286/
“As British and coalition forces withdraw from Afghanistan there are increasing fears for the safety of thousands of former locally employed Afghan civilians who assisted them. This briefing examines the Government’s policies for resettlement of locally employed civilians in the UK.”