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yesterday

Watchdog Says MoD Cannot Verify Cost of Secret Afghan Relocation as Total to Resettle Could Hit 27,278

The NAO says costs cannot be verified after the MoD failed to record the Afghanistan Response Route separately.

Members of the UK Armed Forces taking part in the evacuation of entitled personnel from Kabul airport in Afghanistan in August 2021, after the Taliban stormed back to power. (Photo: Ben Shread/MoD/PA)
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Overview

  • The MoD put the Afghanistan Response Route at about £850 million, but the NAO says it has not seen sufficient evidence to validate the estimate.
  • Departmental figures indicate roughly £400 million has been spent so far on ARR with about £450 million more forecast, excluding compensation and at least £2.5 million in legal fees.
  • The 2022 breach exposed personal details for about 18,700 ARAP applicants, and the MoD now expects 7,355 people to be resettled directly through ARR as a result.
  • The NAO warns the total number of people relocated across ARR and other schemes could reach up to 27,278, with many approved individuals yet to arrive.
  • Parliamentary scrutiny is set to intensify, with the Public Accounts Committee preparing hearings and the NAO planning further work on Afghan resettlement costs.