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Person On 'No Fly' List Gets Flown To The UK During Afghanistan Rescue Mission

Person On 'No Fly' List Gets Flown To The UK During Afghanistan Rescue Mission

Despite being flagged as a security issue, an investigation has found they posed no threat to Britain.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A person on the UK's 'no fly list' has boarded a rescue flight from Afghanistan to Britain.

According to Sky News, politicians were alerted to the issue overnight however an investigation into the individual has found no issue.

While the system received a 'hit' when the individual was processed, a more detailed check found they weren't a security threat and was free to be processed in Birmingham.

A Home Office spokesperson told Sky: "An individual was flagged to the Home Office as part of the rigorous checks process, involving the police, security services and others.

"However, upon further investigation, they are not a person of interest to the security agencies or law enforcement."

PA

The 'no fly list' was brought in to stop people from flying to the UK because they were deemed a security threat.

Questions are now being raised about the effectiveness of the 'no fly list' system and whether it needs to be tightened or relaxed so individuals don't get unnecessarily caught up in it.

Sky says the investigation into this specific individual was done in Afghanistan before they landed on British soil.

Politicians have been told by a senior Border Force official that five people on the watch list had tried to leave Afghanistan during the arrival of the Taliban.

Four of those individuals were stopped and the fifth person, who was later cleared, was permitted on the flight to central England.

A government spokesperson said (via Reuters): "There are people in Afghanistan who represent a serious threat to national security and public safety.

"That is why thorough checks are taking place by government, our world-class intelligence agencies and others. If someone is assessed as presenting as a risk to our country, we will take action."

Thousands of people have been desperately trying to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban retook control of the country.

PA

The militant group launched a major offensive as Western forces were preparing to leave the region for good after a 20-year war in the country.

It's sparked a massive humanitarian crisis as hundreds of thousands of people are now displaced.

The UK will take up to 25,000 refugees to help Afghans find a new home in their time of need.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 5,000 people will be eligible to be resettled in Britain during the first year of the program, with women and girls given priority status.

People deemed to be at the highest risk of human rights abuses and dehumanising treatment by the Taliban will also be accepted as a priority.

The additional 20,000 refugees will be admitted to the UK in the 'long term'.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, News