Hundreds of Afghans "staged torture videos" to relocate to the UK as the only real threat in Afghanistan is "unemployment", a former interpreter has claimed.
The source served in the British forces in Afghanistan before starting a new life in the UK.
He said the threats that some of his countrymen faced had been exaggerated, so they could enter and stay in the UK.
The man told Sky News that "the only threat is unemployment", with him having direct knowledge of how the previous Tory Government processed applications for resettlement to the UK, after the chaos of the Taliban returning to power four years ago.
He alleged that the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which was subject to a major data breach in July, had been open to exploitation by Afghans seeking a better life in the UK.
The source claims there were multiple cases of applicants sending British officials allegedly false Taliban threat letters, staging "torture" videos and faking the Taliban attacking them or close relatives.
Afghans, who had already been granted asylum in other safe countries such as Belgium, were still granted asylum in the UK.
Several applicants pushed to bring in large families, including their spouse, children, parents, siblings and even second wives.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Migrant crisis: Afghan who raped 15-year-old British girl lived luxury lifestyle in France, Germany AND Italy before arriving via small boat
- Migrant crisis: Thousands of Afghans relocated to Britain as part of secret £850m scheme
- Afghan scheme forces veteran out of accommodation just 4 days into retirement
Scenes in 2021 showed thousands of Afghans trying to flee the country after the Taliban took back power
| GB NEWSSome individuals were accepted for relocation despite only working for one or two days as interpreters with British forces.
Under the Government's scheme, an individual who is granted relocation is allowed to bring his or her spouse and any of their dependent children under the age of 18.
The source noted that he was aware of numerous cases in which applicants falsely claimed their children were under 18 despite being in their 20s.
He said: "Now they are going to college with British kids who are very much younger than them, which is worrying to the community and a risk to British culture."
Multiple Governments in the past 15 years have used several different routes to relocate over 35,000 Afghans, expected to cost the Ministry of Defence between £5.5billion and £6billion.
The "intimidation policy", Britain's first relocation scheme, was set up to help those facing serious threats from the Taliban because of their links to British forces.
Another programme was made in 2012, for individuals such as interpreters who had worked in dangerous roles with British soldiers for at least a year.
Eligibility criteria were expanded further in 2021, with fears about the impact of growing instability as the Taliban reentered Government.
The Ministry of Defence has spent between £5.5billion and £6billion on Afghan resettlements
| GETTYFour years after the Taliban entered power, the source said he is aware of Afghans who have been resettled in the UK and are making trips back and forth for holidays and other trips.
The source said: "We have witnessed... interpreters from various units, from special forces units.
"There are hundreds of them going in, coming back.
"It made me disappointed because [British] people believed there was a high threat to the interpreters."