UK MPs reject plan to Shield Afghan 'Heroes' from deportation

• The amendment, part of the larger bill, aims to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda.
• The amendment included individuals eligible to enter the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.
• The vote will lead to renewed scrutiny of the Rwanda bill in the House of Lords.

UK Conservative MPs voted against a plan to prevent Afghan veterans who served alongside British soldiers from facing deportation to Rwanda. On Monday, they overturned an amendment to the controversial Rwanda bill by 312 votes to 253, rejecting plans to exempt agents, allies, and employees of the UK from being deported to the African country, as reported by The Independent.

Amendment 10B from the House of Lords is part of the larger bill, which aims to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda. Several amendments proposed in the House of Lords have aimed to prevent Afghan veterans who fought alongside the British military in the decade-long war from being included in deportation orders.

The 10B amendment encompassed individuals eligible to enter the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, which supports Afghans who assisted the British campaign in their country and are at risk under the Taliban government. Following the vote, the Rwanda bill will now undergo renewed scrutiny in the House of Lords.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak instructed Conservative MPs to vote against all amendments to the bill, including 10B. The initiative to exempt Afghan veterans from potential deportation to Rwanda has garnered support from the highest levels of Britain’s military establishment. Thirteen senior military officials, two former chiefs of defense staff, a former defense secretary, and a former UK ambassador to the US have backed the amendment.

The Sunday Telegraph carried a letter from top military officials ahead of Monday’s vote. They warned that a rejection of the amendment would cause “grave damage to our ability to recruit local allies in future military operations.”

The letter added: “It is essential that those who have made it to British shores are not unduly punished by being removed to Rwanda when the government’s scheme is up and running.”

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