British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday that the country will receive "in the long term" up to 20,000 Afghan refugees, including 5,000 in the first year, a decision made following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. Johnson stated in a Home Office announcement, "We owe it to all those who worked with us to make Afghanistan a better place over the past 20 years, many of whom, especially women, urgently need our help." He added that he is "proud that Britain has been able to put this mechanism in place to help them and their families live safely in the UK."
The Prime Minister is scheduled to present this new mechanism to Parliament on Wednesday morning, where MPs have shortened their summer break to discuss this issue in the House of Commons. In the face of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has seized power, there has been criticism, including from within the Conservative Party led by Johnson, regarding the management of the crisis.
Johnson discussed the situation in Afghanistan with U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, calling for a "unified approach" to the issue. Johnson and Biden agreed to hold a virtual summit of the G7 countries on Afghanistan next week.
The new mechanism announced by Johnson aims to welcome 5,000 Afghan citizens "threatened by the current crisis" in the first year, particularly women, girls, and religious minorities, according to the Home Office. The government did not specify when it would complete the reception of the 20,000 Afghans, simply stating that this will occur "in the long term." However, this mechanism is reminiscent of a program established to welcome Syrian refugees, which allowed for the accommodation of 20,000 Syrian refugees over seven years, from 2014 to 2021.
