Afghan commandos denied asylum over fears they may have witnessed 'war crimes by British troops' - despite the fact they now face retribution from the Taliban for fighting on our side
A Special Forces officer rejected the asylum applications of 1,585 Afghan soldiers who may have witnessed war crimes by British troops.
Court documents showed the officer rejected every bid by the Afghan commandos, known as Triples, despite the troops still facing revenge from the Taliban for fighting with the British.
Some Triples have been killed since the government was toppled in Kabul in August 2021.
Troops' applications were rejected in 2023 – just months before a High Court inquiry into allegations of an SAS shoot-to-kill policy began.
The inquiry is looking into claims the three separate SAS units murdered 80 or more Afghan captives on night raids between 2010 and 2013.
The units were accompanied by the Triples on these missions. It is feared the unnamed Special Forces officer was trying to ensure Triples could not give evidence.
Once in Britain, they could have been summoned to reveal they saw UK troops conduct extrajudicial killings.
Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer – who campaigned for the Triples to come to this country – said he was 'appalled'.
He added: 'When I raised this as happening to the most senior civil servants in UK Government, one in particular from UK Special Forces claimed he was 'offended' that I could make such a suggestion.
'He was either lying to my face... or he was so deeply incompetent he didn't know this was going on.
'I stand ready to assist any legal action against the Government for what is increasingly taking on the appearance or criminal negligence that has seen some of these good men killed.'
The documents emerged as part of a judicial review into the Government's handling of the Triples' asylum applications.
The case was brought by a Triples officer whose former colleagues have been killed and tortured by the Taliban while waiting for asylum in Britain.
The judge-led inquiry into claims of SAS war crimes is due to publish its findings later this year.
The MoD had claimed there was no blanket policy banning the Triples. But in an embarrassing U-turn, the department's lawyer was forced to acknowledge during the inquiry that there had been.
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