A retired Dundee architect is in a desperate race against time to save his Afghan friend who worked with Britain during the war against the Taliban.
Kabul dad Nasim is stuck in hiding with his family and fears for his life after an initial bid to move to the UK was rejected by the Ministry of Defence.
Dundee man Douglas Wright, 76, worked closely with Nasim in Afghanistan for four years and has been heading up his resettlement case.
Douglas is terrified for his friend’s safety while he remains trapped in limbo and warns he has a “target on his back” since he aided Britain against the Taliban.
Nasim, aged in his 50s, was the Dundee architect’s assistant while the two men worked on major construction programmes for Afghanistan’s counter-narcotics ministry.
Douglas, who lives in Dundee city centre, described Nasim as a “jack-of-all-trades”, an invaluable fixer who knew Kabul inside out and could act as an interpreter when needed.
The two men were employed by the Crown Agents, a not-for-profit international agency which until 1997 was an arm of the British Foreign Office.
Nasim applied for entry to Britain under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme immediately after the Taliban regained power in 2021.
But it’s understood the Ministry of Defence do not believe Nasim should be eligible for this scheme because he was not directly employed by the UK Government.
“That’s splitting hairs in my opinion,” said Douglas. “The Crown Agents were part of the Foreign Office for a long time.”
Nasim’s bid was refused on January 30, more than two years after he applied.
Douglas claimed the reasons for Nasim’s rejection were “utter nonsense”.
‘He’s got a target on his back’
He added: “Nasim is determined to carry this through. I feel he’s got every right to be relocated to this country.
“He’s got a target on his back. He’s in hiding during the day. He doesn’t go out during the day, and neither does his family.
“His daughters are not being educated. He can only go out at night for food.”
In his detailed appeal to the UK Government, Nasim argues his work was intertwined with the efforts of the armed forces to rebuild Afghanistan.
The British military entered the conflict to overthrow the Taliban alongside the United States in 2001 and would remain there for more than a decade.
Nasim points out the UK Government described itself as a “key partner” in Afghanistan’s efforts to tackle the illegal drug trade.
In his submission, the Afghan dad says he has already been threatened by groups including the Taliban because of his links to Britain.
He warns there are people in Kabul who would be willing to betray him to the Taliban if they knew his exact whereabouts.
Nasim writes: “I have received threats from violent groups including the Taliban and others.
“There is no doubt that such threats are designed to terrorise me, and they succeed in doing so, as I am aware that the intention is that my life be taken.
“I currently have to take extensive personal measures to seriously limit mine and my family’s visibility in all aspects of daily life.
“I live under an extreme amount of stress and pressure due to having to exist in Kabul.”
Douglas’ struggle to help his friend flee Afghanistan comes at a time when immigration is a hot topic leading up to the Westminster election in July.
Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has put bringing down the number of foreigners moving to Britain at the centre of his policy agenda.
Dundee-based Labour MSP Michael Marra and Dundee West SNP MP Chris Law have helped Douglas in his fight to help Nasim.
Mr Marra said he is appalled at the lack of support, adding: “We owe a debt of profound gratitude to those Afghan citizens who assisted the work of our armed forces in the long years of military action and civilian rebuilding in their country.”
Mr Law said: “Despite a well-documented career working in coordination with the British Government and the support of former colleagues based here in the UK, Nasim had to wait almost two years for his application to be processed and ultimately rejected.
“During these months of delays, Nasim was forced to live in hiding, and he has now been abandoned by a government who previously were more than happy to rely on his skills and experience – this is simply unacceptable.”
Nasim previously lived in the north of England between 2000 and 2005, where he worked as a team leader in a food processing plant.
“He thought he was going to help his country, which is probably a mistake now, but he didn’t know that at the time,” said Douglas.
Nasim also has a Masters degree in mechanical engineering.
“Britain is crying out for people like him,” Douglas said.
The Home Office and Ministry of Defence declined to comment.
