Virendra Sharma MP Serving Ealing Southall, uniting the community
Afghanistan
The situation for so many people in Afghanistan is very difficult, and literally hundreds of people have been in touch for friends, family and themselves. The situation changes hourly, and I and my team are prioritising the most urgent cases. I am in constant contact with the Government about people at risk in Afghanistan, urgently raising the plight of those relatives and friends that my constituents have concerns for.
Please ensure you are contacting me as your local MP, if I am not your MP I will not under Parliamentary protocol be allowed to offer assistance, and this will only delay your case. You can check your MP here, using your postcode, https://www.theyworkforyou.com/.
British nationals
British nationals in Afghanistan should contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. They can call +44 (0)1908 516666 and select the option “Consular services for British nationals”.
Resettlement Scheme and help for non-British nationals in serious danger
The Resettlement Scheme has not yet been opened, and it is not yet clear if it will be opened before the ‘air bridge’ is closed, or if it will be possible to apply for the Scheme from within Afghanistan. I have strongly and repeatedly urged the Government to open the Scheme as quickly as possible.
However, the Government has said that some non-British nationals are being evacuated on the basis that they face serious danger as a result of the situation. I am currently making representations on behalf of a large number of vulnerable Afghans on this basis.
If your family/friends are Afghan (or non-British) nationals in Afghanistan and you believe they are in serious danger, please call +44 (0)2475 389980.
This number is for those who need immediate evacuation help. The number is extremely busy and waiting times can be very long. The Government has stated that this phone line is not for providing advice on eligibility for the full Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme and it is not to be used for registering future interest in that scheme.
You will need to provide as much detail of each family member in Afghanistan as possible, including:
Full name
Date of birth
Passport or ID number
The Government has advised that people who fall into one of the following categories are being prioritised for immediate support:
- current or former Chevening Scholars;
- people with existing leave or an open application for student, work and family visas;
- journalists and those who worked for British news agencies;
- civil society groups for womens’ rights;
- Afghan government officials;
- officials working in counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics; and
- employees of charities, humanitarian organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
This is an evacuation and resettlement scheme for current or former employees of the UK Government.
If you believe your family/friends might be eligible for this scheme, please call the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy on +44 (0)792907303, email localstaff-afghanistan@mod.gov.uk, or fill in the online relocations form at
I am hopeful that some of the non-British nationals I am supporting will be able to access an evacuation flight. However, I think it is important to make clear that, while I have urged the UK Government to secure an extension to the 31 August deadline to hand control of Kabul airport to the Taliban and withdraw all forces, this may not happen. This means that, shamefully, not everyone whose evacuation I will advocate for may be able to leave Afghanistan over the ‘air bridge’.
The UK Government has said that the promised Resettlement Scheme will take applications from third countries. No details have yet been published in relation to this, but I expect that refugees may have access to the Scheme from safer neighbouring countries, which might include Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. I am aware that many borders are currently largely closed to refugees and that journeys to a border may be extremely risky and difficult. I am afraid that as time goes on, many of those in danger from the Taliban may have little alternative but to try to make such a perilous journey.