KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that over 2,000 Afghan commandos who served alongside British Special Forces were denied resettlement, despite credible evidence of their life-threatening missions.
According to BBC, the rejections affected members of elite units known as the Triples, who fought alongside the SAS and SBS on high-risk missions against the Taliban. UK Special Forces officers appear to have rejected every resettlement application from former Afghan commandos referred to them for sponsorship.
The MoD had previously denied any blanket policy against resettling members of the Triples, but the BBC found no evidence of UK Special Forces supporting any applications. When questioned about the matter, the MoD declined to clarify whether any applications had been approved.
The Triples were established, trained, and funded by UK Special Forces to support operations in Afghanistan. After the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021, these units were deemed to be at significant risk of retaliation and were eligible to apply for resettlement in the UK.
However, BBC previously revealed that the UK Special Forces command was given veto power over their resettlement applications, effectively blocking them from seeking asylum in Britain.
This controversy emerged during a public inquiry in the UK investigating allegations of war crimes by British Special Forces in Afghanistan, where the Triples were reportedly present.
BBC reported that the inquiry has the power to summon witnesses in the UK but not those residing abroad. Some have speculated that the rejections may be linked to concerns that the Afghan commandos could provide crucial testimony regarding alleged war crimes.
Mike Martin, a member of the UK’s Defence Select Committee, told BBC that the widespread rejections were “extremely concerning.”
“There is the appearance that UK Special Forces blocked the Afghan special forces applications because they were witnesses to the alleged UK war crimes currently being investigated in the Afghan inquiry,” he added.
Many of the former commandos are now in hiding in Afghanistan, facing severe threats from the Taliban. Reports indicate that several have been tortured or killed by the Taliban.
A former Triples officer, speaking to BBC, expressed feelings of betrayal, saying, “We worked alongside British Special Forces like brothers… If Special Forces made these rejections, they should say why. They should have to answer.”
