Music legend Sting has lashed out at the government’s failure to help an Afghan pilot who served alongside British and coalition troops against the Taliban from being deported to Rwanda.
The multi award-winning singer added his voice to a growing number backing The Independent’s campaign, including a string of UK generals, the former head of the navy, opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Hollywood director Guy Ritchie.
Rishi Sunak promised in March to look into the case of the brave Afghan airman who flew multiple missions alongside coalition forces and was described as a “patriot to his nation” by his US supervisor.
The pilot wrote directly to Mr Sunak, pleading his case, but has yet to hear anything back while defence secretary Ben Wallace has also remained quiet on the issue.
Sting, who is currently preparing to go on UK tour, urged the prime minister to take a stand and not to play party politics with someone’s life.
He told The Independent: “Of course it’s a disgrace and a betrayal, but it’s the usual performative cruelty of a party desperate to appeal to the worst instincts of its shrinking base; totally lacking in compassion, honour, or basic human decency. Just let him stay.”
Reflecting on the wider refugee crisis, Sting said: “I recently played in a jail on a guitar made by the inmates and constructed from the wreckage of a refugee boat.
“These were men attempting to rebuild their lives by building something beautiful from the wreckage of other people’s attempt to rebuild theirs.
“Sounds like a profound metaphor to me, and the implications of that metaphor are of course complex, but it’s not my job to explain it, merely to present it.”
The Afghan pilot, who left his family in hiding in Afghanistan, is still waiting for an outcome to his case after more than 40 politicians, diplomats, military chiefs, religious leaders and celebrities said he should be allowed to stay.
Director Ritchie said it was “morally reprehensible” that Afghan heroes who worked alongside British forces were being prevented from coming to the UK.
Ritchie’s call echoed his new blockbuster film The Covenant in which an Afghan interpreter is left behind by US forces to face the Taliban, and his fate rests on whether a visa will be granted to save him from being assassinated by the Taliban.
The pilot is similarly waiting to hear his fate after arriving in Britain by boat because there was no safe and legal route.
He has applied to stay in the UK under Arap (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy), which was designed to help Afghans who worked for or with British and coalition troops. However Arap is now only accepting those who were directly employed by the British forces and who are at significant risk of death because of their role, The Independent understands.
Arap has processed 22,345 applications, while just 3,399 cases – plus their families – have been found eligible. Afghans who directly worked for the British Army as part of their labour support unit, in roles such as mechanics, have been repeatedly rejected from the resettlement scheme.
A second more general scheme, run by the Home Office, is not open for applications. Afghans have to be referred for UK resettlement by the UNHCR but so far only 22 people have come to the UK this way.
At the weekend, faith leaders joined together to condemn the “heartless” threat to send the pilot and other Afghan war heroes to Rwanda.
The Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath, said there was a “moral duty” to give him safety. “The government has been woeful in its commitment to Afghan refugees and it is time for them to do the decent thing and reverse this cruel, heartless decision.”
Indarjit Singh, director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, said: “It is particularly cruel to threaten to send people who have helped us in good faith to get a better government in Afghanistan. It shows us in a very, very bad light.”
The Sikh leader went further in attacking the “callousness” of the government’s asylum policy – saying Mr Sunak and his home secretary Suella Braverman were attempting to separate “good refugees and bad refugees” by treating all small boat arrivals as illegal migrants.
A government spokesperson said: “Whilst we don’t comment on individual cases, we remain committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan and so far have brought around 24,500 people impacted by the situation back to the UK.
“We continue to work with likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan on resettlement issues, and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.”
