Afghans fake torture videos in bid to be allowed into UK but are quite happy to go back there on holiday, former interpreter says
Hundreds of Afghans who relocated to Britain to escape the Taliban have been accused of exaggerating the threat they face by remaining in the country by using fake torture videos.
Despite claiming a risk of torture and persecution, an Afghan source told Sky News that many Afghan migrants are happy to return to the country on holiday.
Families were relocated in the UK as part of a multibillion-pound scheme to protect those who helped the British Armed Forces and may be at risk from the Taliban.
The Afghan source, who had worked for the British army during the Afghanistan conflict, said that in order to convince British authorities that they were in danger in their home country, some of the migrants have made up stories and even staged fake videos.
Desperate Afghan nationals were pictured trying to run onto a US plane as it flew out of the country in 2021
One man is said to have borrowed a neighbour's gun before shooting his own car and pretending the Taliban had fired it.
Another provided authorities with a video of a woman being beaten by the Taliban which was taken from the internet and falsely claimed it was his wife.
A third man sent a photograph of his dead cousin, who he claimed had been killed by the Taliban. In fact he had died in a car crash.
The source said the 'only threat' facing most Afghans if they return home 'is unemployment'.
The source is understood to have knowledge of how the previous Conservative government processed applications made by Afghans to relocate to the UK.
He alleged that the policy had been open to exploitation by those who sought a better life in Britain rather than escaping immediate danger.
The Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) was launched following the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
Earlier this year it was revealed that a massive Ministry of Defence data breach had put thousands of Afghans at risk, leading to the government creating a secret immigration scheme costing taxpayers a projected £7billion.
The source said that despite the apparent risk to Afghans who have fled the country, he is aware of some who have travelled back and forth for holidays and other events.
One former interpreter shared images on social media of himself in Afghanistan earlier this summer.
He shared a picture outside Kabul airport and diving into a swimming pool with a group of friends.
He claimed he made the trip in secret in order to attend his brother's funeral.
After being contacted by Sky News about the trip, he swiftly made his Facebook page private.
Another source told the Mail that while some Afghans do travel to Afghanistan, the majority of those visiting Afghanistan feel desperate to visit families for medical emergencies or funerals.
Under the government scheme, anyone granted permission to come to the UK is allowed to bring their spouse and any dependant children under the age of 18.
However the source claimed that some migrants mislead authorities to believe their children in their 20s were under 18.
He said that this meant the 20-year-olds were now in British colleges with students younger than them, which he said was 'worrying to the community'.
Others have pushed to bring in large extended families alongside their spouse and children, even second wives.
In other cases, some Afghans were accepted for revocations despite only having worked for a matter of days as an interpreter.
The source said that the production of fake Taliban threat letters was a 'thriving business' in Afghanistan, costing between £700 and £1,100.
He said he did not believe that the Taliban were likely to track down interpreters who worked with the British Army in the past, arguing killings were more likely to be related to tribal disputes or personal vendettas.
An MoD spokesperson said: 'We are committed to honouring the moral obligation we owe to those Afghans who stood with our brave men and women.
'As with all those arriving to the UK, anyone found eligible for relocation from Afghanistan and their family members undergo robust security checks, including for national security. If they don't pass these checks, they are not granted entry to the UK.'
