Afghanistan

Ex-BBC journalists in Afghanistan may be evacuated to UK after court ruling

File Photo.

Eight Afghan journalists who worked for the BBC in the country before the fall of the former government could be evacuated to the UK after a judge ordered ministers on Monday to reconsider their plight.

According to the BBC, the group of journalists has spent more than a year in hiding in Afghanistan after they were left behind during the August 2021 British withdrawal.

Ministers had however rejected their applications for resettlement. 

One of the group told BBC on Monday the Taliban considered him to be a spy and had tried to shoot him. 

All eight of the journalists had worked for many years for the BBC in the country and some had reportedly worked closely with the British government on various projects including democracy and media training. 

The BBC reported that since the Taliban’s take over, the journalists and their families have become the target of threats. BBC reported that since August 2021, the British government has evacuated 21,000 Afghans and their families.