Person on no-fly list flown into UK from Afghanistan during evacuation operation, MPs told
A person from Afghanistan on the UK’s no-fly list has been flown into Birmingham as part of the British evacuation operation in a potential security breach, MPs have been told.
The individual, who is not being identified by the government, is understood to have reached UK soil on a British military plane, with officials being alerted “overnight”.
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Race against time to evacuate thousands of Afghans
The “no-fly list” is designed to block individuals who are considered a security threat from reaching the UK.
The government has looked at the case and decided “they are not a person of interest” and no further action will be taken, so the person is free to go.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “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.”
Tonight’s statement by the Home Office suggests big problems with the no fly list system since they let a flagged individual on the list enter the UK – then apparently later concluded that he should not have been blocked from coming in.
In a sense of the challenge facing British officials as they mount an urgent evacuation effort, the number of “hits” on the list over the past week is more than would normally be expected in a year.
But it is still only a tiny handful compared with the thousands of Afghans the UK has flown to safety from the Taliban, including former interpreters and other staff who risked their lives to support the British military and diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.
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Evacuation ‘down to hours, not weeks’
If any assessment had found that the person did pose a threat, the UK government would not have been able to return them to Afghanistan after Britain suspended flights.
The news of the Birmingham case emerged at a briefing for MPs by ministers and officials.
Opposition MPs worried it could have been a security breach, although government sources said the fact the individual had been identified showed the list is working. They also stressed that people can be flagged on the “no-fly” list for a wide variety of reasons.
British officials at the airport in Kabul are warning of a spike in impersonations, forged documents and forged passports.
Ministers are saying this is why we cannot “open the gates” to allow anyone in without checks.
Sky News understands that the US does not have any such checks, and people will be processed in the US on arrival.
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Will Taliban in power lead to terrorism?
MPs were told today that five people on Britain’s “no-fly list” attempted to leave Afghanistan with UK help. Four of the five were prevented from flying, but one person made it through to Birmingham.
The revelation was made by a senior Border Force official in a call to MPs earlier today. He also said that one more individual was intercepted in Frankfurt, and he was blocked from continuing his journey to the UK though his family were allowed to continue.
This is a significant increase in the number of people on the “no-fly” list trying to gain access to the UK.
Normally from Afghanistan, officials would get one attempt every four or five months – so five red flags in a week is a significant increase.
Kevin Foster, the Home Office minister, told MPs on the call that while the UK must help those under threat from the Taliban, they must be “mindful” of people who pose a threat to the UK.
Ministers are warning against diluting or speeding up checks to get desperate Afghans out of the country as the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warns the operation on the ground could be over in “hours now, not days”.
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Taliban warns of ‘consequences’
A government spokesperson said: “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.”
British officials said there is a real risk of Islamic State militants seeking to exploit the UK’s emergency scheme designed to help former Afghan interpreters and other local staff who worked for the UK military and diplomats in Afghanistan over the past 20 years.
A huge effort is under way to run security checks on each application, but there is also an urgency to get families on to aircraft before Kabul airport’s evacuation mission is forced to stop – something that could happen imminently.
There is also a concern about Islamic State trying to target British troops conducting the evacuation by inserting a suicide bomber into the chaotic crowds massing outside the airport.
The longer the evacuation continues, the greater the risk, security sources said.
Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal has been heavily disrupted after a “suspected prohibited item” was discovered in luggage, leaving passengers in limbo.
Some passengers were reportedly left on planes that weren’t taking off, while others were stranded in the airport for hours after Gatwick made the announcement this morning.
Sussex Police said the explosive ordnance disposal team was being sent in “as a precaution” and a security cordon was put in place.
It now says the incident has been resolved and cleared – but warned there were still “some delays and cancellations”.
Gatwick Airport latest updates
The airport, which is the UK’s second busiest, was set to see off some 316 departing flights today, according to aviation analytics website Cirium.
But what are the rights of passengers if their flights are delayed or cancelled?
Your rights during delays
Your flight is covered by UK law if it departs from a UK airport, arrives at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline, or arrives at an EU airport on a UK airline.
When it comes to significant delays, UK law says airlines must provide you with care and assistance.
Significant delays are classed as:
- More than two hours for short-haul flights of under 1,500km (932 miles)
- More than three hours for medium-haul flights of 1,500km-3,500km (932-2,175 miles)
- More than four hours for long-haul flights of over 3,500km
Here’s what the law says the airline must provide you with until it is able to fly you to your destination:
- A reasonable amount of food and drink
- A means for you to communicate (often by refunding the cost of your calls)
- Accommodation, if you are re-routed the next day
- Transport to and from the accommodation (or your home, if you are able to return there)
It says this must be provided for you for however long delays last, irrespective of what has caused them.
Passengers facing delays have been handed blankets by staff at the airport
Airlines may not always be able to arrange care and assistance for all passengers during major disruptions directly, but the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says you can organise the things listed for yourself and then claim the cost back from your airline later if you keep every receipt and do not spend more than is deemed reasonable.
In other words, don’t splash out on things like alcohol and luxury hotels during your wait and expect to claim your money back later.
What are your rights if your flight is cancelled?
If your flight is cancelled, the airline must either give you a refund or book you on an alternative flight.
You can get your money back for all parts of a ticket you haven’t used, the CAA says.
If you have booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, for example, you can get the full cost of the return ticket back from your airline.
“If you are a transfer passenger and you have already completed part of your journey, you are also entitled to a flight back to your original departure point when your connecting flight is cancelled and you decide not to continue your journey,” it adds.
If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight – whether it is the next available one, or a flight at an alternative, later date.
If another airline is flying significantly sooner than yours is able to offer, you may have the right to be booked onto a rival airline’s flight, but this has to be negotiated with the company.
On last-minute cancellations, Naveen Dittakavi, founder and chief executive of Next Vacay, said: “If you’re already at the airport once the flight is cancelled, the best thing you can do is stay calm – you are protected against many things that might go wrong.
“Try calling the airline helpline rather than waiting to speak directly with the airport staff. The helpline is often more flexible and may provide you with an e-credit or voucher, or flexibility to change your travel dates quickly.”
Can you get compensation?
In some cases, airlines may have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late – but that is only if the delay is deemed to be your airline’s fault.
Disruptions caused by things deemed “extraordinary circumstances” are not eligible for compensation, according to the CAA.
Downing Street has indicated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived on British soil following an international arrest warrant being issued for him.
On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence secretary Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza.
The UK government was reluctant to commit to saying Netanyahu would be arrested if he came to the UK but Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said the government would “fulfil its legal obligations” in relation to the arrest warrant.
“The UK will always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law, and indeed international law,” he said.
He added the domestic process linked to ICC arrest warrants has never been used to date by the UK because the country has never been visited by anyone wanted by the international court.
Earlier on Friday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it “wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment” on the processes involved as the ICC is independent, although the UK is a member.
She told Sky News: “We’ve always respected the importance of international law, but in the majority of the cases that they pursue, they don’t become part of the British legal process.
“What I can say is that obviously, the UK government’s position remains that we believe the focus should be on getting a ceasefire in Gaza.”
However, Emily Thornberry, Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee in parliament, told Sky News: “If Netanyahu comes to Britain, our obligation under the Rome Convention would be to arrest him under the warrant from the ICC.
“Not really a question of should, we are required to because we are members of the ICC.”
After winning July’s election the government said it would not oppose the ICC’s right to issue the warrants.
Netanyahu and Gallant (right) have arrest warrants against them. File pic: Reuters
Ireland, France and Italy have signalled they would arrest Netanyahu if he came to their countries.
Asked if police would arrest the Israeli leader in Ireland, Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “Yes, absolutely. We support international courts and we apply their warrants.”
Germany said it would make a decision if Netanyahu came to Germany but said it is one of the “biggest supporters of the ICC”, partly as a result of history.
A German government spokesman said: “At the same time, it is a consequence of German history that we share unique relations and a great responsibility with Israel.”
An ICC arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri, the mastermind behind the 7 October attacks in Israel, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel claims Al Masri was killed earlier this year but the ICC said that has not been confirmed, so it was issuing the arrest warrant.
Netanyahu’s office said the warrants against him and Gallant were “antisemitic” and said Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions”.
Neither Israel nor the US are members of the ICC. Israel has rejected the court’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.
Read more:
What satellite images tell us about North Gaza
Hamas ready for Gaza ceasefire ‘immediately’
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Why have arrest warrants been issued?
US President Joe Biden described the warrants against Israeli leaders as “outrageous”, adding: “Whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas.”
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were a “mark of shame” for the ICC.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the ICC’s decision sent a “terrible message”.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Netanyahu to visit Hungary and he would guarantee the arrest warrant would “not be observed”.
The ICC originally said it was seeking arrest warrants for the three men in May for the alleged crimes and on Thursday announced that it had rejected challenges by Israel and issued warrants of arrest.
In its update, the ICC said it found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility” for alleged crimes.
These, the court said, include “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts”.
It is the first time a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice.
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