The plight of the Afghan pilot should shame this government

Editorial: The Independent has been clear that there is a moral responsibility to welcome this pilot – and those like him, who have given so much for this country

The fact that the government is still dragging its heels over a decision on whether to grant asylum to an Afghan pilot who flew combat missions in support of UK and coalition forces, and who is now being threatened with deportation to Rwanda, is compounding the cruelty of an already callous act.

That the White House has now intervened to say that officials will be investigating whether the air force lieutenant would be eligible for asylum in the US should be a source of shame for our government. The Independent has been clear that there is a moral responsibility to welcome this pilot – and those like him, who have given so much for this country. Our campaign has cross-party support, including from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Sir Iain Duncan Smith, as well as the backing of dozens of military chiefs and celebrities. All of them recognise the importance of this fight.

The British government is dancing on the head of a pin over the definition of the work this pilot was involved in. He worked for the allied cause, risking his life, and it would be deplorable if such “small print” should get in the way of the only truly honourable course of action. The number of such pilots will run into the tens – is this really how we want to treat those who supported us in our time of need?

The words of George Robertson, former defence secretary and former Nato secretary general, sum the matter up perfectly: “It is truly sad and demeaning for our country to see the US picking up our obligations to people who bravely served us.”

There has been plenty of talk in recent days about the net immigration figures for the UK, which have become something of a Conservative Party obsession in recent years. Part of the mitigation for the increase from just under 500,000 to a touch above 600,000 is the number of people taken in from Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion, along with former residents of Hong Kong. Each of these cases reflects the humanitarian spirit that the British public are happy to support.

The case of the Afghan pilot, highlighted by The Independent, should be seen in the same vein. But though he risked his life – again – when he was compelled to flee his home and make the last leg of his journey to the UK in a small boat across the Channel, his case has now stalled. The issue of those arriving on small boats, who make up a fraction of the overall immigration figure, has been at the forefront of the Conservative debate around migration, with the language used often dehumanising.

The vast majority of those who reach the UK in this way claim asylum, and the backlog for dealing with these claims has hit a record high. As we have previously said, The Independent agrees that it is right to debate whether Britain’s wider immigration system is fit for purpose, but what is also clear is the need for the processes in place to function effectively. There is evidently work that needs to be done.

The gap that has been created for the White House to step in regarding the case of the Afghan pilot is – at least in part – due to the delays caused by the processes available. It should be deeply embarrassing to Rishi Sunak and his government that we have reached this point. Action should have been taken over this case, and those like it, before it came to this, but the news from the US should certainly spur the government on. To fail to take action now would be contemptible.