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Four Afghan interpreters, who were working for the British army in Afghanistan and are hiding after receiving death threats from the Taliban, have again pleaded with the United Kingdom to grant them asylum.
All four were denied asylum in the United Kingdom because of a policy restricting the resettlement of Afghans who worked in the southern Helmand province, the scene of some of the country's fiercest battles between 2011 and 2012.
The men, who received certificates of merit and medals for their work, told Al Jazeera last week that they had served in the British Army for several years in Helmand, but before the deadline stalled mentioned in the policy.
The policy was introduced by Premier Theresa May when she was Secretary of the Interior.
"I'm scared, I'm sure if they catch me, they'll kill me," said an interpreter, who refused to give his name for fear of retaliation.
"We have evidence of many of the performers who were killed, there is no difference for the Taliban, they will kill me one day."
In 2015, an interpreter of US forces in Afghanistan was abducted, tortured and killed by the Taliban. The body of Sakhidad Afghan, who was waiting for an American visa, was left on a street in Kabul as a warning.
Another interpreter, who worked for the British forces for four years – three of them in Helmand – said he had to flee to his home in Logar Province, in the east of the country, with his wife and his sons. seven children because of Taliban threats.
"They will not talk to us, they will kill us immediately," he said.
His wife said, "We have a lot of enemies, we hide and we go from one place to another, we are all in danger, including children, and we are always worried about what is going on. will pbad when we leave home because there are many Taliban spy. "
British forces in Afghanistan employed 7,000 Afghan civilians. Half of them were interpreters. About 1,150 dependents, including, have settled in the United Kingdom.
In comparison, the United States has granted asylum to more than 9,000 Afghans and 17,000 dependents.
"Why did the British government abandon us?" asked an interpreter.
"Where are human rights?" Where are the high ranking officers? They do not care about us.Why the British parliament does not care about us? Why do they have them? blind eye on us? "
Simon Diggins, a former British colonel, condemned British policy.
"I think we treat them very badly, the interpreters gave their lives for us, people were wounded, they were killed, and without them we could not have done our work in Afghanistan. we have a real debt of honor to them, "said Diggins.
Report by Tony Birtley
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