Afghan resettlement is a cross-Government effort, with costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and other Government departments including the Home Office, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

On 18 March 2026, the NAO published a report which detailed the costs of the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) in response to the Department’s provision of information on MOD spending to the NAO. Part Three of this report sets out funding for the schemes, the costs incurred to date, and expected future costs. This report can be accessed via the link below:

https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/investigation-into-the-afghan-resettlement-schemes.pdf

The report lays out that, since 2021, His Majesty’s Government (HMG) has spent £3.1 billion on the ARP. HMG estimates a total cost of £5.5-6 billion on Afghan resettlement activity throughout the life of the programme. This figure is kept under review using the latest data available.

The MOD and its cross-Government partners will continue to update Parliament including the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee in line with usual processes throughout the course of the ARP.

It is not possible to provide a comprehensive breakdown of figures by employment dates or job roles, including those who worked in NATO and International Security Assistance Force command structures. This is because this information is not presented in a format that is readily available, nor included in published statistics.

Each ARAP scheme application is assessed individually against the eligibility criteria outlined under the Immigration Rules: Appendix ARAP. Applicants cannot directly apply under a particular category. Further information on this can be found in the attached and at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance#eligibility-under-the-arap

It is not possible to provide a comprehensive breakdown of figures by employment dates or job roles, including those who worked in NATO and International Security Assistance Force command structures. This is because this information is not presented in a format that is readily available, nor included in published statistics.

Each ARAP scheme application is assessed individually against the eligibility criteria outlined under the Immigration Rules: Appendix ARAP. Applicants cannot directly apply under a particular category. Further information on this can be found in the attached and at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance#eligibility-under-the-arap

All applicants that receive an ineligible outcome may seek a review of their decision within 90 days of receiving this decision, in accordance with the ARAP Review Policy. Further information on this can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance

All decisions made in the Triples Review carry a right to have this decision reviewed, however the Triples Review has not been extended to every ARAP applicant.

The ARAP eligibility criteria have not changed. As a result, no previously ineligible principal applicants have had cases reviewed against revised criteria.

Each ARAP scheme application is assessed individually against the eligibility criteria outlined under the Immigration Rules: Appendix ARAP. Further information on this can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance#eligibility-under-the-arap

When the Taleban seized control in 2021, many thousands of people who served and supported our British Armed Forces were left in Afghanistan.

The UK made a commitment to honour the moral obligation we owe to those Afghans who stood with us and there was cross party support for this at the time. This became the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme.

All those resettling in the UK under Afghan resettlement schemes are coming to the UK legally. As with all those arriving to the UK, all those found eligible for ARAP have to undergo robust security checks, including for national security. If they don’t pass these checks, they are not granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK

An application must first be made, by the applicant, to the Ministry of Defence, who will decide if the applicant is eligible. If they are eligible for relocation to the UK, the second stage is that the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) will on behalf of the applicant, make an application to the Home Office for entry clearance (if they are outside the UK) or settlement (if they are in the UK). Eligibility does not guarantee resettlement in the UK. Those who are eligible must first undergo checks in accordance with the UK Immigration Rules

The MOD, as part of the first stage, sends an offer letter to Eligible Persons (EPs) which details the vetting and security process that applicants must go through to enter the UK and signposts EPs to the Government's Immigration Rules for further guidance. Permission to enter the UK is subject to the enrolment of biometrics and security checks run by the Home Office as part of the second stage.

National security is a priority for this Government and all ARAP eligible individuals who arrive in the UK will have undergone thorough security checks.

A wide variety of contractors have supported the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), with some involved in sensitive operational activities. As a result, a comprehensive list of external contractors that worked on ARAP cannot be published due to both operational risks and commercial sensitivity.

In February 2022, under the previous Government a spreadsheet with names and other information relating of individual applicants of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) – the resettlement scheme for Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan – was emailed outside of official Government systems.

The previous Government decided to seek an injunction concerning the breach and the High Court granted a super-injunction. They also decided to set up a new secret resettlement route, called the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR). The ARR was created to support a limited cohort of people who were affected by the data loss incident and who were previously thought to be at the highest risk, into the UK.

The current Secretary of State then commissioned an independent policy review from former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, Paul Rimmer. This began earlier this year and was presented to Ministers in June. The review examined the overall policy context in spring 2025, three years since the data incident and concluded that it appears “highly unlikely” that merely being on the dataset would be grounds for targeting.

As the Defence Secretary outlined in his oral statement of 15 July 2025, the Rimmer review was a very significant element in the Government’s decision to change policy to close the ARR, though not the sole element. We have now made the matter public so it can be subject to full Parliamentary scrutiny.

To resettle those under the ARR, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses mixed cohort flights to relocate Afghans to the UK under the schemes that make up the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). This includes the ARR and ARAP scheme. These flights have also included a small number of persons eligible for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).

The MOD has used both RAF and charter flights. Additionally, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to resettle eligible Afghans has run charter flights. For reasons that are commercially and operationally sensitive, we cannot name the companies that organised the charter flights.

The average total monthly costs from MOD charter flights, Royal Air Force flights and IOM charter flights is to date £457,833.33.

As of 15 July 2025, under the Afghanistan Response Route, 900 principals are in Britain or in transit, together with 3,600 family members.

Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) has been in operation for over four years and over 95% of all applications are now found to be ineligible. This Government has been clear that resettlement schemes cannot be an indefinite process. Over 19,000 individuals have now relocated to the UK under ARAP.Those who have submitted an application will be duly processed.

Over 13,200 people have also been successfully resettled under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) since 2021. We will continue to honour our commitments to those who have already been found eligible for ACRS and ARAP.

The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) was a scheme developed by the UK Government to provide support to our Afghan Partners and allies. As such, the decision to close ARAP to new principal applications was taken by the UK Government.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has commissioned several audits at various times since the data protection incident relating to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy to inform remediation plans. All recommendations from these audits have been accepted and are either complete or work-in-progress.

It is a key priority of this Government to reinforce data handling practices. Within the Defence Afghan Relocation and Resettlement (DARR) team we have introduced a new casework management system which prioritises data protection. We also recently completed a comprehensive review on legacy data held within this casework management system and historic email accounts to ensure information is held at the right security classification and within the right location, which also enhances the case-working capability. This includes the application of need-to-know principles, with shared sites locked down and proactively managed.

A new senior civil servant level Chief Information Officer was appointed within the DARR team in October 2024 with responsibility for a larger and more skilled data and information management team. They produced a data strategy in line with the Government Digital Services’ data maturity assessment and this is shaped by priorities as identified from the myriad internal and external audits.

We regularly emphasise the need to complete the relevant mandatory training across DARR and all current staff have completed it. Bespoke induction training includes security briefings and data protection training, and there are regular communications on protecting information and expected behaviours, including discussions at senior leadership level.

We are continuously investing in our cybersecurity infrastructure to ensure we remain resilient against evolving threats. Through targeted interventions, campaigns, and role-specific training, we are embedding a culture where every individual understands their role in safeguarding Defence. By reinforcing positive cyber habits and reducing human cyber risk, we are building a workforce that is confident, capable, and cyber secure.

Afghan nationals who wish to come to the UK can still make an application to the Home Office under the most suitable route within the Immigration Rules. Any such application would need to demonstrate that the applicant meets the relevant requirements for that route, including payment of any applicable fees.

It is not possible to provide a breakdown of relocation figures by job role at this time.

As of 25 November 2024, we have relocated over 19,000 eligible individuals (including applicants and their families) to safety in the UK. The Government is committed to delivering on the commitments made under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, with multiple Government Departments playing a key role to deliver this service.

The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme already provides resettlement routes within the existing criteria for those formerly employed, directly or indirectly, by the UK Government. There are no current plans to widen the eligibility criteria.

The scheme’s full eligibility criteria can be found via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy-information-and-guidance

The new team of Ministers have made ARAP an early priority for the Department, to tackle problems which have been faced with processing ARAP applications and ensure the scheme delivers on our commitments to those brave Afghans who worked in support of UK objectives in Afghanistan.