Johnson faces MPs’ questions about the UK’s response to the Afghanistan crisis

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Boris Johnson is preparing for criticism from senior MPs over the UK’s role in the Afghan crisis, despite announcing a new plan to allow thousands of refugees to seek asylum.

In a half-day debate on Wednesday, the prime minister will address the House of Commons in a rare session in August, and will defend Britain’s response to the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country, as well as the UK’s efforts to withdraw British and Afghan nationals.

The UK has 900 troops in Afghanistan to assist in the evacuation effort of 3,000 Britons and dual nationals and a similar number of Afghans who served alongside British forces. British combat troops left Afghanistan in 2014.

In response to growing international concerns about the humanitarian situation, the Home Office has announced a program aimed at helping up to 20,000 people long-term to move from Afghanistan to the UK.

Up to 5,000 Afghans fleeing the Taliban will be allowed to enter Britain during the first year of a resettlement scheme that will prioritize women, girls, members of religious and other minorities.

Priti Patel, Home Secretary, said: “I want to make sure that we as a country are doing everything we can to provide support to the most vulnerable people fleeing Afghanistan so they can safely start a new life in the UK.”

Johnson said: “We owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have worked with us to make Afghanistan a better place over the past 20 years…

But he is expected to face criticism over the UK’s humanitarian response to the fall of Afghanistan and the government’s readiness. He had said in July: “There is no military path to victory for the Taliban.”

Johnson will also argue that the UK is in a strong position to call on other countries to coordinate and shape the West’s response to the Taliban’s seizure of power. One Downing Street official said collective force was “the most powerful weapon we have.”

On Tuesday, Imran Khan, Pakistan’s prime minister, warned in a phone call that no new Afghan government should be recognized prematurely and that it should be done “on an international basis and not unilaterally”.

The UK Prime Minister also told Khan that “the legitimacy of any future Taliban government will be subject to its adherence to internationally agreed standards on human rights and inclusivity”.

Johnson’s government has been criticized by several senior Tory MPs for its role in the withdrawal.

Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, called the withdrawal “the biggest foreign policy disaster since Suez.”

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Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative chair of the Defense Select Committee, warned that Afghanistan risks becoming “a haven for the flourishing of terrorism and will soon become a battleground for neighboring giants to exercise their proxy influence”.

MPs are also likely to question Johnson about his absence from Number 10 on Saturday, when he left for a one-day holiday. Dominic Raab, the foreign minister, was on vacation in Crete over the weekend, before being called back to London.

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labor Party, said ministers were “lost for action at this vital time”. He added: “Speak to anyone who has any experience in Afghanistan and he will tell you that it was clear last week that we are heading into a very dangerous situation.”

As part of its efforts to withdraw its nationals, the UK has the capacity to fly 1,000 people from Kabul per day.

But Vice Admiral Sir Ben Key, the head of joint operations who manages the evacuations, acknowledged on Tuesday that British forces were operating with the consent of the Taliban and might have to withdraw if flights were to be banned.

“currently [the Taliban] They respect the agreement with the United States. “They let us do our work but we have to be realistic and honest: the Taliban controls how and what we can achieve and at some point they may withdraw their consent.”

Video: How 20 Years of War Changed Afghanistan | FT . movie

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