London: A former Afghan Air Force pilot who fought alongside British forces in his home nation but is now facing deportation from the UK to Rwanda has been refused assistance by Britain's defence minister.

James Heappey responded "in principle" that the pilot does not qualify for Britain's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy when questioned about the case in the House of Commons.

Due to security concerns, the pilot's identity has been withheld. The pilot, who flew dozens of combat missions against the Taliban, has been referred to as a "patriot" by former Western coalition allies, according to the Independent.

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After Western forces left Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban took over again, and he fled the country. He eventually crossed the English Channel from France in a small boat and made his way to the UK. He claimed that the only reason he did this was because he had "no other alternative way" to get to Britain.

After that, he submitted an application for asylum under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, but the government denied him because he entered the country illegally from France, which is regarded as a safe country, and travelled through other safe countries on his way to the UK.

Labour Party MPs questioned Heappey about the situation, and he responded that his office is "looking at whether or not there are any special circumstances under which the application could be approved."

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However, he continued, "In principle, (the pilot) would not automatically be in scope as a member of the Afghan national security forces, rather than someone who worked alongside the British armed forces.

This past weekend, a number of religious leaders in the UK demanded that the airman be given asylum there and urged the government to stop sending him back to Rwanda. In order to send asylum seekers to Rwanda while their cases are pending, British authorities have signed an agreement with their Rwandan counterparts.

The pilot has written a letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pleading with him to take action in his behalf and expressing his feelings of being "forgotten" by the West and the UK.

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According to a Home Office spokesperson, "Since 2015, we have provided almost 500,000 men, women, and children seeking safety with a safe and legal route to the UK, including those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, as well as family members of refugees."