• Military personnel will deploy to the country on a short term basis to assist British nationals to leave
• The British Embassy in Kabul is focusing efforts on consular assistance and accelerating work to provide visas for former UK staff in Afghanistan
• Last week FCDO Travel Advice changed to recommend British nationals leave Afghanistan as soon as possible

The additional deployment of approximately 600 troops is in light of the increasing violence and rapidly deteriorating security environment in the country. In parallel, the number of staff working at the British Embassy in Kabul has been reduced to a core team focused on providing consular and visa services for those needing to rapidly leave the country.

Last Friday the FCDO changed Travel Advice to recommend that all British nationals leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while commercial travel options remain available. Any British nationals who are still in Afghanistan are encouraged to contact the Embassy in Kabul as soon as possible for assistance.

UK troops will provide force protection and logistical support for the relocation of British nationals where required and assist with the acceleration of the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP). This will help to make sure interpreters and other Afghan staff who risked their lives working alongside UK forces in Afghanistan can relocate to the UK as soon as possible.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP said:

I have authorised the deployment of additional military personnel to support the diplomatic presence in Kabul, assist British nationals to leave the country and support the relocation of former Afghan staff who risked their lives serving alongside us.

The security of British nationals, British military personnel and former Afghan staff is our first priority. We must do everything we can to ensure their safety.

The additional military support announced today will arrive in Kabul over the coming days.

Sir Laurie Bristow, the UK’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, will continue to lead a small team in Afghanistan which will relocate within Kabul to a more secure location. This team will focus on helping remaining UK nationals to leave the country, and the continued roll out of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and working with international partners to support the Afghan Government.

ARAP, launched on 1 April 2021, is the most generous scheme of its kind in the world and has already supported over 3,100 former Afghan staff and their families to start new lives in the UK, with more than 1,800 of them arriving over the last few weeks alone. In the coming days UK Government will further accelerate work on this scheme to ensure those who are eligible go through the necessary security checks and have the required documentation to travel to the UK.

The UK remains committed to Afghanistan and will continue working as part of the international coalition to support the country’s government through our diplomacy, development and counter terrorism work. This year the UK will provide Afghanistan with more than £100 million of support to improve critical health and education services.

Thank you, Mr President, and I want to thank Special Representative Swan, Special Representative Madeira and Ms Batulo Ahmed for their briefings.

I’d like to make three points in response to what we have heard today. The first thing to say is that the United Kingdom welcomes the electoral agreement reached between the Somali Federal Government and Somalia’s Federal Member States on the 27th of May. Prime Minister Roble has our full support as he works with the Federal Member States to implement the agreement and conclude the electoral process as planned.

It follows that we welcome the beginning of Upper House elections as a milestone on this process agreed on 27 May. But we also endorse what we have heard from SRSG Swan: the importance of Somalia’s leaders engaging to keep this process on track; to ensure that the 30 per cent quota for women is met; and we encourage the Somali authorities, in close coordination with AMISOM, to accelerate preparations for election security. Because we know, as we heard from Special Representative Madeira, delays and deviation from this process risk further political division and benefit Al-Shabaab, who continue to launch frequent attacks to regain ground, extort income and increase their political influence.

Second, Mr President, on security, the electoral process is a key part of sustaining the security gains that the African Union and AMISOM have helped achieve. In support of the transition to a Somali-led security, as laid out in the Somali transition plan and called for in UN resolution 2568, we support and encourage collaboration and consultation between the Federal Government of Somalia, the United Nations, the African Union and donors. And we look forward to the joint UN-AU proposal on the succession mission to AMISOM, which we expect to see in September, and to working with Somalia, the AU, and Security Council members to translate this into a mandate in December.

Thirdly, Mr President, as we’ve heard, Somalia continues to face deep challenges brought by COVID-19 and climate change, including flooding, drought and locust swarms, which have put Somalis’ lives and livelihoods at further risk. The UK will continue to support Somalia in mitigating the impacts of these events and building resilience. And we call on other members of the international community to do the same.

In conclusion, Mr President, delivering the 27 May agreement and completing the electoral process will present Somalia with an opportunity to address the challenges facing Somali people and regional and international partners to renew their support to Somalia and on its path to development, security and climate resilience.

Thank you, Mr President.

Among the science displayed to senior officials from the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Home Office was Gravity, a human jet suit system.

The pilot swooped in to amaze the invited guests, then presented a fictitious scenario, flying rapidly through the air and tracking down a would-be assailant.

Those watching the event included Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt and Professor Paul Taylor, the Police Chief Scientific Advisor.

Police with jet suits?

Martin chairs the National Police Chief Council and coordinates the operational response across the police service to the threats the UK faces, including terrorism, organised crime and national emergencies. He said:

Seeing a human flying is really impressive. To see something that feels like you’re watching science fiction took all those watching by surprise.

It is clear the Gravity system has lots of potential and we are fascinated to see how it will develop and if there are any possible uses in a policing environment in years to come.

Richard Browning is the founder and test pilot of Gravity, and said:

It’s always the same reaction – almost disbelief that you could see a human being moving in that way when your only real reference point is probably a Marvel superhero film.

However, the application of Gravity is endless, to be able to move specialist personnel in an urban environment very quickly in a three dimensional space, be it onto a rooftop, over a river or difficult terrain to potentially contain a roving threat is really powerful.

Following the recent Integrated Review (IR) and the release of the MOD Science and Technology (S&T) strategy, there has been huge investment for science and technology for defence. There is similar investment for policing.

Martin added:

The science and technology has so much cross-application with Defence and Homeland Security. Being here at Dstl is a real opportunity to look at what’s being developed and identify where that could be used in the policing world.

Having our own requirements placed into the same environment where the science has been pushed as far as it can be pushed, really does present some important and exciting opportunities.

The group were also able to witness the latest research in knife crime, where scientists are working on knife detection systems that could mean fewer body searches and better protection for police officers and the public.

Dstl’s Head, Counter-Terrorism and Security, said:

Dstl is all about the future, and it is important we explore what others are doing to develop novel systems. It is with great pride that we were able to show some of the incredible science being developed to protect UK citizens to senior policing officials.