Britain to Accept Thousands of Afghan Refugees

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

Britain announces they plan to take in up to 5,000 refugees Afghanistan who fled the country after the Taliban seized control of Kabul and the Presidential Palace over the weekend.

This number is the target in the first year of the new resettlement program which prioritizes women, children and other minority groups.

The UK is actually already planning to relocate five thousand people as part of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy which is designed to help current and former employees of the UK Government.

However, on Tuesday (17/8), the government announced further plans with a new scheme.

“I want to ensure that as a nation, we do everything possible to provide support to vulnerable Afghans,” said UK Home Secretary Priti Patel.

“So they can start a new life in safety in Great Britain.” “Afghan Resettlement Scheme will save many lives,”

The Conservative government has faced pressure from opposition parties and charities to explain specifically how the scheme could help Afghans.

In the long run, Patel said, the program aims to help up to 20,000 people.

But because the situation has changed rapidly in recent days, Patel admits it is difficult for them to evacuate people trapped in other parts of Afghanistan.

This is because a number of remote areas do not have access to the airport or to neighboring countries.

“The complex landscape on the ground means there will be significant challenges in realizing the scheme, but the government is working quickly to overcome these obstacles,” Patel said.

(Reuters/end)

[Gambas:Video CNN]

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