It is now for those at the top of government to deliver justice for Afghan war heroes

Editorial: The British government needs to cut through the red tape and save this man from a fate he does not deserve

Those who served alongside our own forces deserve the chance to make a new life in the UK (Supplied)

It cannot be long now until the government does the right thing and allows the former Afghan air force pilot and refugee whose cause is now being championed by The Independent to find refuge in the UK.

He was forced to make the journey to this country by small boat because of the lack of an easily accessible safe and legal route and is currently in temporary accommodation somewhere in Britain. He has heard from the authorities, at last, but has not yet been given the news that he has every right to expect – of indefinite leave to remain, and with it the chance to make a new life for himself and his family.

The latest recruits to our struggle for justice are two figures who understand well the meaning of military service and the obligation of allies to one another. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who has taken a firm line on migration for his entire political career, served with the Scots Guards in Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe.

The former Tory leader is clear that his successor, Rishi Sunak, should honour the spirit of the pledges given at the time of the evacuation from Kabul: “With all schemes there needs to be flexibility,” said the former cabinet minister. “It’s smart always to be flexible on these things. We have established a safe route with the [Arap] Afghan scheme, so it shouldn’t take too much to move [the Afghan airman] across to the scheme.”

The “quiet man” of British politics is turning up the volume again, and in the most honourable and urgent of causes. The Afghan pilot – threatened with deportation to Rwanda because he arrived via a small boat across the English Channel – should be eligible for the Afghan relocations and assistance policy refugee scheme in any case.

So, as Sir Iain points out, the British government – in effect, the prime minister – needs to cut through the red tape and save this man from a fate he does not deserve. He is a refugee, and he has fought with allied forces against the Taliban.

Also joining the offensive to fight for the Afghan refugee is Air Marshal Edward Stringer, former director of operations at the Ministry of Defence. “Now is the time for us to demonstrate the decency on which we so pride ourselves,” he said.

“Many of those in the Afghan forces served with distinction alongside us – and the Taliban will never forget that. We owe them all a debt of honour. The Taliban knows as well as we do that we helped train the Afghan pilots – I remember vividly the start of that mission in Kandahar in 2008 – and we should stand by those brave men, like the pilot The Independent is campaigning for, now.”

Air Marshal Stringer, like Sir Iain, recognises that the reason so many Afghan people are fleeing their homeland is that they served alongside the British and other allied forces, either directly or indirectly. They are clearly at risk from Taliban reprisals. So too are those who risked their lives in the Afghan armed forces, fighting alongside British, American, German, Australian and other allied service personnel, in the same cause but wearing a different uniform.

An increasing number of MPs are also part of the effort to give sanctuary to the pilot, including Julian Lewis, who served with the Royal Naval Reserve, and Caroline Nokes, who put the case to Mr Sunak during his last session with the Commons liaison committee.

Former chief of the general staff Sir Richard Dannatt, former Nato chief Lord Robertson, and General Sir Richard Barrons – a former chief of joint operations who served in Afghanistan – are urging the government to look into the pilot’s case. Also heartening is the way that the public have responded, with our petition so far having attracted more than 50,000 signatures.

The various official safe and legal resettlement schemes – covering Ukrainians and Hongkongers, as well as Afghans – are obviously welcome, but they are not always easy to access, something that has been noted by the government’s supporters and opponents alike.

For many Afghans who manage to make it over the border to Pakistan, it must be galling to be told that they have to rent accommodation in the UK before they can travel here to make a claim. It is simply unrealistic and discourages those who have an absolute legal right to have their cases heard, in national as well as international law.

The rules can also be unnecessarily tight, neglecting to recognise the myriad of relationships that built up between the British and their Afghan counterparts during the long and pitiless war.

It is for those at the top of government, such as the defence secretary and Mr Sunak, to heed the advice of their colleagues – both political and military – and find a way through the bureaucracy in order to deliver justice.