The UK's Afghan asylum scheme has sparked a blistering row on GB News after a veteran told the People's Channel that he had been "evicted" to make way for those who were relocated.
Hitting out at the £850million scheme, which was uncovered on Tuesday, commentator Adam Brooks declared the country is "not putting our people first".
Hitting back at Brooks, commentator Emily Sheffield questioned the number of veterans who had been evicted from their accommodation, urging Brooks to "focus on what the Afghans did for us".
Delivering his verdict on the Afghan asylum scheme, Brooks told GB News: "It's shocking, and the trust between the people of this country and Governments is at an all time low.
GB News
|Adam Brooks and Emily Sheffield clashed over whether Afghans should be housed in the UK in favour of Britons
"Now we know that apparently an estimated £7billion worth of repatriation of Afghans has been hidden from us. So was it hidden from the bond markets? Was it hidden from the Chancellor, the OBR forecast? Does that mean all of our numbers are wrong? Have we been sold a lie on that?"
Expressing his outrage at reports of British veterans being "turfed out" in favour of the relocated Afghans, Brooks fumed: "And then we get told that veterans are being turfed out of accommodation, possibly because of Afghans coming over, people that have served their country are being turfed out of their accommodation.
"What sort of democracy are we living in where a court can do this and hide these things from not only us, the people, but Parliament?"
Interjecting Brooks, Sheffield cast doubt over the number of veterans who had been evicted as a result of the scheme, claiming "we only know of one veteran".
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Referring to GB News's interview with veteran Andrew Cook, Sheffield stated: "That's just one guy. If the Government comes up with the fact that loads of our veterans have been turfed out to house these Afghans, that's not great either, but let's just also focus on what these Afghans were doing for us."
Brooks then hit back at Sheffield, asking: "So, you believe that our veterans that have served do not deserve to be in accommodation?"
Sheffield responded: "For 20 years, we waged a war in that country, and many of these men risked their lives alongside our soldiers, both men and women probably kept them safe, helped us operate in a country where we had gone to attack them.
"And then we're saying you cannot come to this country? You are picking on people who maybe helped save our soldiers. Do you agree that we shouldn't house any of these people?"
GB News
|Brooks told the GB News panel that the country 'isn't putting its people first'
Directly questioning Brooks, Sheffield asked again: "So these Afghans who are coming over, who helped our soldiers, who possibly helped our soldiers and save their lives when they went there to fight a war, you think they shouldn't come to this country?"
Brooks stated: "At the moment, I do not believe we have got the facilities. We've not got the money to do so, and we have not not got the room. You put the people of this country first and we are not doing that."
Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed on Tuesday that a data breach under the Conservative Government released the personal details of almost 19,000 Afghans, who were working in support of British troops.
The Government then relocated 6,900 Afghans, including family members, to Britain at the cost of £850million, but scheme was covered up under a superinjunction.
In a statement, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "This Government is committed to renewing the nation’s contract with those who have served and is delivering at pace on veterans’ housing; including removing the local connection requirement for veterans seeking social housing in England and providing an extra £3.5million for homelessness services.
"The Prime Minister announced new legislation to put the Armed Forces community, including veterans, at the heart of Government decision-making.
"And we are creating Op Valour, a first-of-its-kind, UK-wide support system, to ensure Veterans have access to joined-up health, housing and employment services, regardless of where they live."