Piers Morgan has directly appealed to the prime minister to stop an Afghan war hero being deported to Rwanda as he gave his backing toThe Independent’s campaign.
The air force lieutenant, who flew 30 combat missions against the Taliban alongside the British army and was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as a “patriot to his nation”, has been threatened with removal to Rwanda.
The Independent wants the government to allow the pilot – who arrived on a small boat after he was unable to find a safe legal route – to remain in the UK. He is desperate that his young family are brought to safety from the Taliban.
Sharing a clip from his TalkTV show, Mr Morgan said the case was a scandal that “shamed Britain”. Addressing Rishi Sunak directly, he tweeted: “Do the right thing and give this hero a new life here, then bring his family over too. It’s the very least we can do after all he did for us.”
The television presenter and journalist spoke out about the pilot’s case as former head of the army, General Lord Richard Dannatt, and Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent, appeared on his show.
“It’s a complete failure of our moral duty as a country,” Morgan told viewers. “This man is a hero... We have a moral compulsion to take care of him and his family.”
The Independent has launched a petition calling for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain
Morgan, whose brother was a colonel in Afghanistan, said: “I think this is a really important battle. It may be one man but it represents a large number of people who sacrificed a lot, many of them sacrificed their lives.
“And he can’t go back now because the Taliban would hunt him down and kill him and he must be terrified that’s going to happen about what’s going to happen.
“We’re going to keep hammering away at No 10.”
Mr Sunak has yet to reply to a letter from the pilot.
Lord Dannatt said there was no doubt at all the pilot absolutely deserved our protection.
“The thought he could be extradited is appalling,” he said.
He added: “I’d be very surprised if Rishi Sunak or Ben Wallace [defence secretary] didn’t push this through.
“They should use their discretion now and quietly announce his family will come too.”
Lord Dannatt is among the senior military figures and MPs who have joined the 50,000 people backing The Independent’s petition calling for the UK to give refuge to Afghan war heroes who served alongside British forces.
Others include Air Marshal Edward Stringer, the former head of RAF forces in Afghanistan, the former head of Nato Lord Robertson and Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Prince Harry’s friend and former colleague Ben McBean is also backing our campaign.
Mr Greig said such people did not back the campaign lightly unless they thought it was supporting people “who supported them when they led our army to do things that were necessary for the betterment of the world, the maintenance of democracy and the fight for freedom.”
The presenter said he would like to get Prince Harry himself involved.
The Afghan pilot says he was forced into hiding when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021. He told The Independent that he had no choice but to travel to the UK via a small boat because there were no viable safe routes.
He said: “What safe and legal way was there after the fall of Afghanistan? You entered Afghanistan on the first day as a friendly and brotherly country, and now this bad day has come upon us. [The UK government should] keep the promise of friendship and cooperation that you made, and fulfil it.
“The American and British forces have forgotten us. We worked with them and we helped them like they were our brothers. We are not Talib, we are not Isis, so why are they leaving us like this?”
Data shows the Afghan relocation and assistance policy scheme (Arap) has rejected 18,946 Afghans, while just 3,399 have been found eligible.
In the pilot’s case, the official Arap application process is under way.
