UK ends resettlement program for former Iraq staff
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, March 24, IRNA – Foreign Secretary David Miliband has announced a premature ending of his government’s offer to resettle former Iraq staff who helped British troops after accepting some 260 applications and their families.
“Staff who left our employment on or before 7 August 2007 have now had around 16 months to decide whether to apply for the scheme. As a result of this and in view of the declining rate of applications, we consider that the time is right to close the scheme to new applications from former staff,” Miliband said.
“We need to allocate resources effectively in support of the operation of the scheme, particularly as we draw closer to the drawdown of UK forces from Iraq,” he said in a written parliamentary statement published Tuesday.
The foreign secretary told MPs that new applications from former staff for both financial and resettlement benefits under the scheme will cease to be accepted from 19 May 2009 but that appeals against decisions will continue to be considered until 30 June.
The resettlement program was launched in October 2007 following an outcry in the British media, accusing the government of neglecting former Iraq translators and interpreters who were said to fear for their lives after helping British troops.
To date, over 150 former staff and their dependants have been resettled under Britain’s Gateway program and a further 110 former staff and their dependants have been accepted and will travel shortly, he said.
In addition, some 400 serving staff out of over 500 applications have also been assessed as eligible under the scheme.
Out of these, some 250 have chosen the financial package offered by Britain, while the remainder have chosen resettlement to the UK.
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