Hove MP calls for Afghan interpreters to be granted asylum

Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove, is backing calls for interpreters working in Afghanistan, and their families, to be granted the right to live in Britain.

He said that they faced death threats for helping British forces.

The government is currently considering the case of asylum for Afghan interpreters given the grave danger that they and their families face from Taliban.

After the Iraq War the Government offered Iraqi interpreters exceptional indefinite leave to remain in the UK given the invaluable help that they provided to British troops.

Mr Weatherley is calling on the government to extend the same rights to Afghan interpreters that was given to their Iraqi counterparts.

He said: “Interpreters working for British forces in Afghanistan put the lives of themselves and their families at an extraordinary risk in order to help our country and mission abroad.

“Indeed, 24 locally engaged civilians have been killed and 122 have been injured while working with our armed forces since 2006.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that these people are not automatically granted the right to move to the safety of the UK, so I call on the government to review this issue as a matter of urgency.”