Ministers accused of ‘reckless errors’ after man wrongly told daughter was evacuated from Afghanistan

Ministers have been accused of making “reckless errors” in the data-keeping of British nationals stuck in Afghanistan after it informed a man in the UK that his six-year-old daughter had been safely evacuated to Britain, when in fact she is still in the country.

Manchester resident Mr Kamal, who did not want his full name published, contacted his MP at the end of August because he was “deeply concerned” about the wellbeing of his Afghan wife and four British daughters, who were unable to board an evacuation flight from Kabul.

Labour MP Afzal Khan enquired to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) about the case, and received a response on 29 September stating that one of the man’s daughters, aged six, had successfully left Afghanistan and returned to the UK, while his wife and other three daughters were still in country.

The same correspondence also indicated that none of his daughters were registered with the FCDO as British nationals in Afghanistan, when in fact they are.

Mr Khan said that when he passed on the response to Mr Kamal, the father-of-four told him “emphatically” that the six-year-old was still in Afghanistan, and that he was “understandably distressed” that the UK government was telling him otherwise.

An FCDO spokesperson told The Independent the letter was issued with incorrect information following an administrative error made by officials.

The MP subsequently wrote to foreign secretary Liz Truss demanding to know what processes are in place to ensure such errors are not repeated.

His letter, sent on Monday, states: “While I appreciate this has been a challenging time for your department, careless and reckless errors like this are deeply troubling not just for myself, but for Mr Kamal and all my constituents who are desperate for help and support during this ongoing crisis.

“If such mistakes are being made, how can I or my constituents be expected to trust any of the information being shared? In light of this incident, can you please outline what processes are in place to ensure such errors are not repeated?”

It comes amid mounting concern for the British nationals who were not able to board the evacuation flights from Afghanistan in August and are therefore still stranded in the country, fearful of Taliban rule.

Most were instructed to go to Kabul airport for an evacuation flight in August but found they could not get near the entrance due to the thousands of people trying to flee the country.

Critics say ministers should be doing more to identify these people and seek viable ways to assist their evacuation.

Mr Khan told The Independent: “For the FCDO to suggest a six-year-old girl travelled from Afghanistan to the UK by herself in the midst of this crisis, is utterly ludicrous – anyone with an ounce of common sense would have questioned it’s possible veracity.

“While this is just one error, it speaks to a wider disregard for MPs and their constituents and encapsulates the approach of the FCDO and Home Office throughout this crisis.”

An FCDO spokesperson said they were sorry for the error and remained in contact with the Kamal family.

“We are doing all we can to enable remaining British nationals to leave Afghanistan. We are in contact with British nationals and others we are trying to help,” they added.