In December 2020, the Home Office and Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced the ARAP, which is designed to assist current or former locally employed staff in Afghanistan receive assistance or be offered relocation.
The scheme was launched on 1 April 2021 and replaces the previous Intimidation Policy that has operated since 2010. The ARAP will operate indefinitely. Both current or former locally employed staff employed by the UK Government assessed to be at serious risk of threat to life are eligible to apply, regardless of their length of service or employment status.
The Home Office have published an ARAP scheme factsheet on its operation, use of security checks and reasons for rejection.
Application is via an online form: Relocation to the United Kingdom Application (office.com). Applications can be made to the scheme from any country, including Afghanistan.
Advice can also be sought via the following email: localstaff-afghanistan@mod.gov.uk
Applications are processed and determined by the Afghan Threat and Risk Evaluations Unit, which is made up of officials from the MOD and FCDO. Responsibility for assessing the application (PDF) rests with the Department that employed the applicant.
Applicants who qualify for relocation may include a partner and any minor dependent children in their application. The details of which family members qualify, are set out in Home Office Additional Guidance on the eligibility of additional family members, June 2021 (PDF). In September 2021, the Government announced that those who are relocated to the UK under the ARAP will receive immediate indefinite leave to remain. Those who have already been relocated can apply free of charge to convert their temporary leave into indefinite leave.
The Commons Library Briefing on the Resettlement scheme for locally employed civilians in Afghanistan provides more detail on scheme.
Ronnie Cowan MP 