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Afghans hired to guard British Embassy in Kabul won't receive protection from UK

According to the RT, the Guardian reported that around 125 Afghans hired to guard the British Embassy in Kabul have been informed they will receive no protection from the UK government, noting they were rejected as they didn’t work “directly” for London.
The RT said according to the Guardian, 125 local guards, as well as around a dozen other Afghan embassy staffers, were turned away after applying for the UK’s “Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy” (ARAP), designed to help Afghans resettle after working under British agencies.
The guards were told that their jobs were terminated through an informal notice only – leaving them confused about their employment status immediately after helping British diplomats flee the country last Saturday. They were also reportedly asked to return company computers, radios and body armor.
“We risked our lives for them, and now we find ourselves in this bad situation – not just us, but our families are at risk,” said one ex-guard who declined to be named.

The employees were told that they were not eligible for assistance or protection because they “were not directly employed by her majesty’s government,” having only worked as private contractors under GardaWorld, a Canada-based security firm.
Read more: UK Foreign Secretary’s delegated phone call to Afghanistan did not take place
According to the RT, of around 160 foreign GardaWorld staffers that applied for help, only 21 translators were accepted for assistance and relocation. But the former guards insist that their work deserves recognition from UK authorities. Some of the rebuffed workers have written to the government to request they be added to the list, arguing that “contractors are human too.”
The embassy employees – including some who worked at the facility for more than a decade – initially applied for the ARAP program last month, prior to an all-out Taliban takeover of Afghanistan over the last two weeks. They now say they fear reprisals from the Islamist group as their jobs were “in the public eye,” voicing skepticism in Taliban vows to give amnesty to those who worked under the Western-backed Afghan government.
“We have been doing a very dangerous job for the British embassy, and we are in a terrible condition,” another former employee told the Guardian.
“No one asked whether we are safe or not. No one asked whether our lives are in danger or not,” another guard said.
The president of GardaWorld’s Middle East division, Oliver Westmacott, noted that formal termination letters had not been sent out yet, but added “The reality is on Saturday when the contract was demobilised, we sent people home.”
Read more: Taliban spokesperson: China could contribute to Afghanistan’s future
However, Westmacott warned that his company still needed to secure agreement from the Foreign Office as to how much of the workers’ salaries it would reimburse, saying “otherwise we are materially out of pocket.”
The UK Foreign Office, meanwhile, told Sky News that it was “monitoring the situation with GardaWorld closely” and is “in contact with them to provide any required assistance,” though did not specify any plans to actually help the former workers.
In addition to the UK’s ARAP program, the government also rolled out a separate “Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme” earlier this week, vowing to take in 20,000 Afghans over the next 5 years, and 5,000 by the end of 2021. Though the figure mirrors similar relocation plans unveiled by the US and Canada, the British scheme was slammed as too little, too late by critics, some noting that around 550,000 Afghans have already been displaced this year alone.
Source: RT
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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