UK quietly closes flagship schemes for Afghan resettlement, receives strong backlash
The change, introduced without formal announcement, was buried in an update to immigration rules published by the Home Office. Under the revised policy, the Ministry of Defence's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) stopped accepting new applications by afternoon on Tuesday, July 1.
The scheme, launched in April 2021 to support Afghans who assisted British forces, now applies only to individuals who submitted applications before the deadline.
Additionally, the Home Office has also ended new intakes under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which was designed to help vulnerable Afghan nationals and those linked to British civil and military operations.
With both schemes now closed to new applicants, no legal routes currently exist for Afghans seeking protection in the UK. Human rights groups have heavily condemned the decision.
Gunesh Kalkan, head of a refugee support charity, said the closure 'leaves children and families we support in danger and without hope,' and called for the government to expand, not restrict, safe migration routes.
Dr Sara de Jong, an academic and refugee rights advocate, condemned the timing and lack of transparency. 'Not even half an hour before the deadline, there was any update on official websites. What about applicants waiting on appeals or preparing submissions?' she asked. De Jong also pointed out that the UK had pledged to resettle 20,000 at-risk Afghans by 2021, yet has fulfilled only around 65% of that promise.
While the Ministry of Defence confirmed that those already deemed eligible may still apply for family reunification, critics argue that both schemes have been plagued by delays, poor administration and communication failures. The UK High Court previously likened the handling of Afghan special forces' cases to a 'crime scene.'
As of May 2025, over 21,000 Afghans had been resettled in the UK under ARAP and ACRS. However, hundreds of eligible individuals remain stranded in Afghanistan, vulnerable to Taliban reprisals.
Humanitarian groups are urging the government to immediately review and restore accessible, legal migration channels.
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