The SAS fought a dirty war in Afghanistan

The SAS blocked UK visas for Afghan special forces soldiers, perhaps fearing that they would be able to produce evidence incriminating the SAS in the shooting of unarmed civilians. That was the striking implication of a BBC Panorama investigation this week – with the Ministry of Defence confirming that it is undertaking a review of 2,000 cases where Afghan applications were blocked by the SAS.

Under the ‘ARAP’ scheme, introduced after the fall of Afghanistan in August 2021, Afghans employed by the British government had a near-automatic right to resettle in the UK. This was because they were among the people most likely to face retribution from the Taliban after the fall of Kabul. The Afghans who were considered most at risk were elite troops trained to the highest level, such as units 333 and 444, the so-called ‘triples’.

Sarah Fenby-Dixon, a consultant with Refugee Aid Network, has been supporting dozens of the triples who were left behind after the fall of Afghanistan.