2,000 Afghan Triples resettlement applications to be reconsidered

Today, the Minister of the Armed Forces announced to Parliament that 2,000 applications for relocation to the UK by members of the Afghan ‘Triples’ – elite units who worked alongside UK Special Forces in Afghanistan – will be reconsidered. 

Adam Straw KC represents a number of members of the Afghan Triples, who were refused relocation. They made claims for judicial review, challenging the refusals, and argued that there was a secret policy by which the applications of all members of the Afghan Triples would be refused. The judicial review claims relied on investigations by Lighthouse reports, The Independent Newspaper and Sky, which found evidence that a blanket rejection policy was being applied.  There was widespread criticism of the Ministry of Defence’s position, from MPs and others, including Major General Charlie Herbert, the UK’s senior Nato advisor in Afghanistan between 2017-18, who said: “I can think of no other Afghan security forces who were more closely aligned to the UK than 333 and 444, nor who more loyally or bravely supported our military objectives. That any of them remain in Afghanistan more than two years after the evacuation is abhorrent.”. The outcome sought by the Claimants included that all Triples applications that had been rejected should be reconsidered. 

The Minister announced that there would be a full reassessment of all eligibility decisions by an independent team, and estimated this amounted to about 2,000 applications. 

Adam Straw KC is instructed by Erin Alcock at Leigh Day, and leads Julianne Morrison at Monkton Chambers. 

Media reporting includes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68152923