Brave Afghans deserve better than our shameful, incompetent resettlement programme

Editorial: The government’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy has been mired in such inefficiency, it is hard to escape the conclusion that ministers do not want it to work

‘The Independent’ is proud to have campaigned on behalf of the Afghan pilot who fought alongside our forces and who was threatened with deportation to Rwanda (Getty/The Independent)

In the long history of Britain clumsily withdrawing from its responsibilities around the world, Afghanistan has featured more than once.

The Independent supported our most recent mission in the country, which had been harbouring Osama bin Laden. And we recognised that we helped to achieve a great deal, especially for the education of girls and women, even as our forces’ stay became unsustainable.

What is more, we accept that the disorderly exit from Afghanistan two summers ago was primarily the fault of the United States administration, as Joe Biden failed to reverse a bad plan devised by Donald Trump. But since then the United Kingdom has failed to fulfil its duties towards the many Afghans who assisted our armed services.