London: Out of 1,049 eligible individuals, only two Afghans who were offered asylum by the UK have been brought to Britain in the last three months from Pakistan, according to a Monday report by The Independent.

Numerous Afghans who worked as interpreters, diplomats, and other support personnel for Western forces but fled their country after the Taliban took control are being housed in Pakistan.

Through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, all 1,049 eligible Afghans have been given permission to visit the UK; however, as a result of Britain's decision to stop operating charter flights last year, they are unable to depart Pakistan.

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Former minister Ann Widdecombe of the Conservative Party said, "We had years to bring the interpreters over and we waited until the last minute. We then urged people to enter Pakistan, but we no longer operate rescue flights from there. We just left them behind.

The Afghans must demonstrate sufficient living expenses as well as proof of pre-arranged UK housing as part of ARAP.

Between April of last year and March 2023, the UK government will spend about $21 million on their hotel expenses in Pakistan.

However, only two Afghans from Pakistan were relocated to the UK between March 1 and May 24 of this year, and only eight people from all over the world were relocated to Britain.

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The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, Britain's second sanctuary programme that primarily targets ex-diplomatic staff and guards, allows for the UK resettlement of about 300 of the Afghans living in Pakistan.

John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, called the delay in relocating vulnerable Afghans "shameful" and asserted that Britain has a "moral duty" to support former embassy staff and interpreters.

Bringing only two ARAP-eligible people to the UK in three months is shameful, he continued. Hundreds of Afghans fleeing the Taliban are left stranded in hotels in Pakistan without any hope or help. Ministers need to revamp the failing ARAP programme.

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According to a spokesperson for the British government, "The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help at-risk people in Afghanistan and, so far, we have brought around 24,600 vulnerable people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan resettlement schemes."