Minnie Rahman, the interim chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said the change was another example of how the government had “slammed the door” on Afghan people.
“The narrowing of the Arap scheme and the failure to open the Afghan resettlement programme means that Afghans with links to the UK are now stuck in an impossible bind.
“People can stay in Afghanistan and risk death, or make their own perilous journeys here and face prison, detention or removal under this government’s new borders bill,” she said.
The changes to the rules mean those directly employed in Afghanistan by a UK government department on or after 1 October 2001 must now have a “high and imminent risk” of threat to their life to be able to come to the UK.
Under the previous rules, they only needed to show there was an “imminent” risk.
Zoe Bantleman, the legal director of the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, tweeted that those employed in an exposed role by a UK government department or who provided linguistic services must show, as a result of public recognition for performing their role, their safety is at risk.
“This narrows the test from the [home secretary] determining the person needs to be relocated to UK,” she wrote.
Another category of applicant must now show a substantive positive contribution to specific UK military or national security objectives and that either they are or were at an elevated risk of death or serious injury or hold sensitive information.
“Whilst clarification of the criteria in the Arap rules is welcome, it is unclear why the rules for entry clearance for Afghans who helped the UK are being narrowed at this time,” Bantleman wrote.
A government spokesperson said the UK implemented the biggest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history, helping more than 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan who it is continuing to support.
“We are now updating the Arap immigration rules to make clear who is eligible to apply under the scheme, enable more families to remain together, and offer support to those who need it most.
“The Afghan citizens resettlement scheme will soon open and is one of the most generous schemes in our country’s history. It will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK. We will honour commitments made to individuals and groups,” the spokesperson said.
About Andrew
Multicultural Meanderings 
H.M. Home Office is clearly unfit for purpose.
seems like one bad decision or implementation after another