Delays by Home Office risk return of vulnerable Afghan families to Taliban

Many families were separated when evacuating Kabul, as some people not able to board a flight fled to Pakistan. Photograph: Sgt. Samuel Ruiz/AP

Afghan families who helped UK forces and then fled to neighbouring Pakistan are in danger of being deported back to the Taliban due to Home Office delays in bringing them to the UK.

In the chaotic evacuation period in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in August 2021 some family members eligible for resettlement in the UK became separated from the rest of their families. Some boarded flights while others were unable to due to crushes at the airport and instead fled over the border to Pakistan.