Afghan scholars studying in the UK under a Foreign Office scheme say they live in fear of being forced back into Taliban clutches.
The current cohort of Afghan Chevening scholars say they are stuck in limbo and face the possibility of having to return to Afghanistan after their graduation in September or once their visas expire.
The Home Office initially stated that the scholarship was not a pathway to resettlement and that scholars should follow the standard policy of returning home or to a third country.
But the Home Office has now indicated that scholars can apply for another UK visa, such as the graduate route, or consider claiming asylum.
The scholars agreed to speak on condition of anonymity over concerns for their safety and that of their families still in Afghanistan.
One of them said: “As a girl who is single, who has done human rights law in the UK, under the UK government scheme, who has worked with international forces, I would be persecuted, I would be hanged in front of everybody.”
Another, who is specialising in international human rights law, said: “I am having panic attacks thinking about what exactly is going to happen.
“After September, I will have no accommodation; it is difficult to get a job without a visa. What should I do? Where should I go? Should I just become stateless and homeless at the same time after September?”
The Chevening scholarship programme provides study at UK universities – mostly one-year master’s degrees – for students with potential to become future leaders, decision-makers and opinion formers.
Afghan Chevening scholars already in the UK in 2021 and 2022 were granted indefinite leave to remain.
The students say that if they were to obtain a graduate visa they would still be at risk of deportation after two years.
One scholar said: “The problem, for instance, with the graduate visa is that it has a very high fee, and I don’t think many of the Chevening scholars would be able to pursue that route.
“But even if I manage to borrow some money, it is only for two years. I want to be assured that after this period, I wouldn’t be forced to leave.”
A government spokesperson said: “We understand the situation in Afghanistan, and are therefore providing a letter of consent to current scholars whose visas in other countries have expired or will expire, allowing them to apply for another UK visa.
“This will exempt them from the normal requirement to leave the UK on completion of study.”
The Home Office also made clear that if someone had come to the UK legally, and circumstances in their home country changed, such that it was no longer safe for them to return home, they could claim asylum.
Labour’s Neil Coyle, an MP representing one of the scholars, told PA that Chevening scholars were “the best and brightest”, adding: “Ministers must end their debilitating quagmire and grant leave to remain in the UK, as the Home Office did for the students who completed their studies last year.”
