Recall of Parliament: Afghanistan Debate Statement

The scenes we have seen in Afghanistan over the last few days have been deeply shocking, and there has been a catastrophic miscalculation of the capacity and legitimacy of the Afghan government, and the resilience of Afghan forces, which has led to this disaster.

We face the tragic rollback of those gains that UK soldiers, diplomats and NGO workers, and their coalition and Afghan partners, have worked so hard for. My thoughts are with the Afghan people. There are many questions to be answered by the Prime Minister about the failed political and development strategy of the last ten years.

The Government was largely and shamefully silent as the Afghan government collapsed. It was therefore right that the Government agreed to Labour’s call to recall Parliament.

The Labour Party and I are calling on the Government to consult with our allies in NATO and key countries in the region about the implications of the collapse of the Afghan government. There needs to be a coordinated approach from the international community to the changing situation on the ground, and a strategy to try to protect the gains made in the last 20 years on human rights, girls’ education, and counter terrorism that the UK should be leading.

As the Taliban has come to power through military means and overthrown the elected government, I do not believe we should recognise them as the Government of Afghanistan. Instead, I believe we should work with our allies to take a common approach to the reality of a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Alongside regional partners, we should encourage a process of dialogue in Afghanistan to bring different groups together around reconciliation, as the UN has called for.

However, it is clear that we will need to deal with the reality on the ground – and some engagement with the Taliban will be necessary, for example to help support humanitarian access to help Afghan people in need.

The priority now must be for the Government to accelerate efforts to get UK nationals and eligible Afghans out of the country.

The Government’s announcement that the UK is to take in 20,000 Afghan refugees over five years, with up to 5,000 Afghans eligible in the first year, does not meet the scale of the challenge.  The scale of the UK’s refuge offer must be commensurate with the scale of the crisis. For many Afghans there is no long term - only day-to-day survival. Lives are in danger today and the UK Government must show leadership by stepping up with more urgent action now.

The Government has been far too slow to provide sanctuary to those Afghans who have served alongside and supported the British presence in Afghanistan. This is a shameful dereliction of duty. Even now, there are reports of Afghans facing unacceptable bureaucratic hurdles, and the Foreign Office suspending scholarships for young Afghans. Our resettlement scheme must urgently be expanded to ensure people to whom we owe a huge debt are not abandoned.

The UK has a proud history of helping people fleeing violence and persecution. As people are driven from their homes in the most desperate circumstances, the UK must always stand with people seeking safety. Unfortunately, I believe the Government’s approach to this long-standing obligation has been severely lacking in competence and compassion.

I can assure you that I am working alongside the Home Office to ensure I am doing all I can to ensure that Afghans are able to reach the UK safely. I have raised several urgent cases with the Home Office regarding constituents’ families to assist them in getting out of Afghanistan.

18.4 million people in Afghanistan already require humanitarian assistance and there is a real risk that this humanitarian disaster gets worse, particularly for women and girls. It is utterly shameful that the government has slashed development support to the country just as it faces a grave crisis.

With the refugee crisis that the return of the Taliban is creating, it is vital that the Government put in place specific safe and legal asylum routes and help support Afghans who are fleeing to neighbouring states. This must come alongside an urgent ramping up of humanitarian and development support for those who need it most and work with trusted partners who are already embedded in the country to deliver that vital support, so it reaches Afghans in need.

We are not powerless in this situation, and no outcome is inevitable. Although this is a live and volatile situation, with events changing by the hour, I will continue to do everything I can to ensure the UK does not abandon its’ responsibility and makes every effort to support the human rights of the people of Afghanistan.