A lawyer representing people who helped the British mission in Afghanistan has welcomed a Government policy change relating to families trying to relocate to the UK.
Dan Carey said thousands of Afghans accepted for relocation to the UK under a Government scheme could be affected.
News of the policy change emerged on Friday at a High Court hearing in London after a number of families became embroiled in a legal fight with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Lawyers representing families eligible for relocation had begun legal action against Mr Sunak – as well as Home Office, Defence department, and Foreign Office ministers – and complained of “lengthy” relocation delays.
They had told a judge overseeing the litigation that many people had left Afghanistan and were housed in hotels in Pakistan and Iran – paid for by the UK Government.
Some were challenging the “lawfulness” of ministers’ management of cases and the Government’s policy “approach”.
Ministers disputed the claims made against them.
I am very pleased for my clients and the thousands of others in their position that the Government has lifted the block on relocations to the UK— Lawyer Dan Carey
Government lawyers had told Mr Justice Chamberlain how the policy had been that travel to the UK, for people with UK visas, would be “facilitated” only when “suitable UK accommodation” – not including hotels – had been identified.
Lisa Giovannetti KC, who is leading the Government legal team, told the judge on Friday of a policy change.
She said people would now be housed in “transitional” UK accommodation – including hotels – when they returned.
A judge is due to oversee further hearings in the near future.
It has taken a huge amount of pressure over many months – from the press, from organisations, and through the courts – to force this change in Government policy— Lawyer Dan Carey
“I am very pleased for my clients and the thousands of others in their position that the Government has lifted the block on relocations to the UK,” Mr Carey, who is based at law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn, said after Friday’s hearing.
“It has taken a huge amount of pressure over many months – from the press, from organisations, and through the courts – to force this change in Government policy.”
Lawyers representing families had said “eligible persons” could not leave hotels safely due to their “precarious or irregular” immigration status in Pakistan.
They described the “state of affairs” as “intolerable”.
