Jessica Morden Jessica Morden - Labour MP for Newport East, Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons and PPS to Keir Starmer
I was pleased to welcome Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith MP to Newport East this week to meet with Newport-based Afghan interpreters to discuss the difficulties the group are facing in being reunited with their families.
Many Afghan interpreters who settled here – after supporting UK forces in the fight against the Taliban – are now facing difficulties in bringing their families to the UK because of the normal spousal visa rules, which affect their wives and children.
I’ve raised this issue in Parliament on a number of occasions, and it’s high time that the UK Government took decisive action to protect the Afghan interpreters who came here – originally through a Government scheme – and recognised their service and sacrifice by allowing them to be reunited with their loved ones.