David Vance SubstackRead More
I remember a Paul McCartney hit that had the chorus “Open the door, and let ‘em in” and that is exactly what is happening to the UK as regards Afghan migrants!
Did you see that The Telegraph has reported on that Afghan migrants resettled in the UK under an emergency scheme have brought extended family members in unprecedented numbers? Unprecedented!
One such individual was permitted to relocate with 22 of his relatives, while others arrived with groups in the “high teens,” averaging eight per applicant. This all stems from the Ministry of Defence data breach that allegedly exposed the personal details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had collaborated with British forces during the Afghanistan war, putting them at risk from the Taliban.
The breach prompted the then Conservative government to launch the Afghanistan Response Route in March 2024. This initiative aimed to airlift vulnerable applicants to safety, although I am still unsure as to why the UK had to be that destination. However, what began as a humanitarian effort quickly ballooned due to legal interventions. Unintended consequences?
Defence ministers sought to limit relocations to married couples and their children. Yet, as many of us would have predicted. UK courts, invoking the European Convention on Human Rights, repeatedly broadened eligibility criteria.
An amazing but pivotal ruling came in November last year from High Court Judge Mrs Justice Yip in a case against the Foreign Office.
She declared that the term “family member” lacks a fixed legal definition and does not require blood or legal ties.
“The word ‘family’ may mean different things to different people and in different contexts.
This decision then opened the door for thousands more, with court documents estimating up to 12,500 additional family members could qualify— a sharp increase from the prior 2,200 deemed eligible.
It is scary to read reports from Afghanistan suggest that the “chaos” allowed criminals— such as those who stole from British bases or sold weapons to the Taliban—to exploit the scheme, potentially compromising UK security. Meanwhile, loyal military commanders who served alongside UK troops have allegedly been left behind.
This debacle raises broader questions about the ECHR’s influence on UK sovereignty and immigration control. With over 40,000 Afghans and counting resettled at significant cost—potentially tens of £££ billions in lifetime support—this episode shows that danger of activist judges, the ECHR and lying politicians.
