Conducting Strategic Legal Work on the ARAP Scheme

The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (the ARAP Scheme) is not working. Many Afghans who are at risk as a result of their support to the UK’s mission in Afghanistan are being denied a route to safety by the UK Government.

Here for Good is conducting strategic legal work to try and address the gaps in the ARAP Scheme and ensure more Afghans are granted a route to sanctuary in the UK.

Issue

Many Afghans are in danger of the Taliban as a direct result of their support to the UK. However, they are being denied a route to sanctuary for them and their families. The UK’s Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy is therefore not providing the protection that it should to many Afghans and their families at risk.

Gap in support

At the moment, there is no legal aid available for many of these Afghans who are at risk from the Taliban due to their assistance of the UK’s mission in Afghanistan and want to reach safety in the UK. This means many have been unable to access legal support to proceed with their applications and challenge Home Office refusals. It also means that cases which could lead to a change in the Government’s unjust and unfair policy are not able to be pursued. Here for Good therefore decided to plug this gap by setting up the ARAP Project.

Here for Good’s Strategic Pilot Project

Here for Good is running a pilot project with Wilson Solicitors to address the gaps in the ARAP Scheme.

Here for Good is pursuing a handful of strategic legal cases with the ambition to create wider positive change for many Afghans. We are working on cases of a variety of different Afghan people, all of whom are at heightened risk of being targeted by the Taliban due to their assistance of the UK Mission. For example, former senior intelligence officials that assisted the British military or drivers of UK-contracted international development organisations. A number of those we are helping have young children and are currently stranded, having been denied access to safety in the UK.

Through being able to work on these strategic cases – and challenge refusals by the UK Home Office – Here for Good hopes to get guidance in place that provides this cohort of people an adequate route to safety in the UK.

The project also hopes to draw public attention to the huge injustices faced by many Afghan people who are being denied the UK’s support after risking their own safety to support the UK. We hope that the UK Government will be encouraged to act urgently to address these injustices and grant people a route to safety and sanctuary in the UK.