Sunak U-Turn As Afghan Veterans Exempted From Deportation To Rwanda

Rishi Sunak has performed a huge U-turn to get his Rwanda deportation plan through parliament, offering an exemption to Afghan asylum seekers who helped the British military fight the Taliban. For weeks, the government stubbornly refused to listen to cross-party calls to exclude those who worked with the UK military or government overseas, such as Afghan interpreters, from the policy. Now Sunak has finally relented, meaning any asylum seeker who would qualify for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) would not be flown to Rwanda. Former Labour defence secretary Lord Des Browne, who had been leading efforts to secure the exemption, said he would not press ahead with his amendment to the Safety of Rwanda Bill.