Ben Wallace – 2021 Comments on Bringing Afghan Interpreters to UK

The comments made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 1 June 2021.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our interpreters and other locally employed staff who risked their lives working alongside UK forces in Afghanistan.

We have always made clear that nobody’s life should be put at risk because they supported the UK Government to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.

As we withdraw our Armed Forces, it is only right we accelerate the relocation of those who may be at risk of reprisals.

The Home Secretary and I are going to do everything to make sure we recognise their services and bring them to safety. It is the right thing to do.