Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy
This program is open to Afghans who were employed by the UK government, (or in some cases a UK government contractor) and who are at risk as a result of their employment. People who meet these criteria can apply regardless of their rank, role, or the length of their employment.
Current or former staff who believe they qualify can apply by using the online application form. You will need your LSU Number, CISS Number, or Staff Number to apply.
Applicants can apply to be resettled with their spouse and child under 18. Other family members may be resettled in exceptional circumstances. People applying for resettlement under the ARAP scheme can contact the UK Government for advice on bringing family members to the UK on +44 2475 389 980 (or 02475 389 980 in the UK).
Afghans resettled to the UK through the ARAP scheme will be given indefinite leave to remain in the UK and will be able to apply for British citizenship after five years.
UK Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
The scheme opened on 6th January 2022 and prioritises:
- Those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as ‘democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law’
- Vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+)
The UK government will resettle more than 5,000 people in the first year and up to 20,000 over the coming years. The government announced that it will work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify those the UK government should help.
Anyone who is resettled through the ACRS will receive indefinite leave to enter or remain (ILR) in the UK, and will be able to apply for British citizenship after 5 years in the UK under existing rules.
The UK government announced that there is no application process for the ACRS. Prioritisation and referral for resettlement will be in one of 3 ways:
- Vulnerable and at-risk individuals who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme will be the first to be settled under the ACRS. Eligible people who were notified by the UK government that they had been called forward or specifically authorised for evacuation, but were not able to board flights, will also be offered a place under the scheme if they subsequently come to the UK. The first Afghan families have been granted ILR under the scheme.
- From spring of 2022 the UNHCR will refer refugees in need of resettlement who have fled Afghanistan.
- The third referral pathway will relocate those at risk who supported the UK and international community effort in Afghanistan, as well as those who are particularly vulnerable, such as women and girls at risk and members of minority groups. In the first year of this pathway, the government will offer ACRS places to the most at risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors and Chevening alumni. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be in touch with those eligible to support them through next steps. Beyond the first year, the government will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome wider groups of Afghans at risk.