Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Britain has approved resettlement for nearly 1,000 former Afghan special forces personnel after reviewing previously rejected immigration and protection cases.
Britain has agreed to resettle 884 former Afghan special forces personnel after reviewing previously rejected immigration cases, offering fresh hope to members of elite units who fought alongside British forces before the Taliban returned to power. The move follows a government reassessment of applications from the so-called “Triples” units, including CF 333 and ATF 444.
According to Forces News, the affected applicants were initially turned down under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), but their files were reopened after the government found inconsistencies in earlier decision-making. Those who complete visa and security checks will be allowed to remain in Britain under the resettlement framework.
The British government said the review was launched after concerns that some decisions involving former Afghan partner forces had not been properly documented or consistently assessed. Defence procurement minister Luke Pollard described the delays as “deeply concerning” and said the government remained committed to supporting those who had served with British troops.
The former commandos are believed to have been trained by British special forces and took part in joint operations against the Taliban and other militant groups during the war in Afghanistan. Many have said they have faced severe threats since 2021 because of their links to British military operations.
Britain introduced ARAP in April 2021 to protect Afghans who worked for or alongside the UK government and were considered at serious risk because of that service. The route later became part of the broader Afghan Resettlement Programme, though ARAP itself was closed to new principal applications in July 2025.
The case has become one of the most controversial chapters in Britain’s Afghan resettlement effort, with campaigners and former military officials arguing that many of the “Triples” were unfairly excluded despite their direct operational role. Government documents published in February said roughly 30% of reviewed decisions in the first phase had been overturned.
Officials have also acknowledged that newly examined payment records and service verification evidence may prove some of these former fighters worked closely enough with British forces to qualify under ARAP rules. That finding helped trigger a second phase of review covering additional cases.
The decision to approve hundreds of former Afghan commandos is likely to ease some of the criticism surrounding Britain’s handling of these cases, though thousands of applications remain under scrutiny. For many of those still waiting, the review is not only about paperwork, but about survival.