The Middlesbrough mayor has said that abandoning Afghans who have risked their lives by fighting alongside British forces is ‘not an option’.

Mayor Andy Preston added that Middlesbrough would welcome those who have been ‘persecuted, terrorised and abused’ and said that he doesn’t ‘care where you come from’ as long as people are willing to contribute to the town.

His statement comes as the UK Government pledged to resettle 5,000 Afghans in the UK in the first year and 20,000 in the long term after the Taliban regained control of the country after a rapid advance.

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Home Secretary Priti Patel said that she wanted the majority of those people who are resettled to be women, girls, and persecuted minorities.

Andy Preston added: “Middlesbrough will stand tall and help, welcoming innocent people who are being persecuted, terrorised, and abused.

“I don’t care where you come from – if you need help and you are willing to contribute to Middlesbrough then we will help you.

“This is especially true when it comes to Afghan people who have put their lives on the line by supporting British armed forces – these friends and allies of Britain are in mortal danger and abandoning them is not an option.

“In Middlesbrough we stand by our friends and allies – regardless of where they’re from.”

Ms Patel has recently announced that, since June 22, 2021, the UK has resettled 2,000 ex-Afghan staff and their families.

Commenting on this, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP, Simon Clarke, said: “Welcome progress reported by the Home Secretary. We need to bring these people, who have served both their country and ours so well, to safety. This is a whatever it takes moment.”

Parliament was recalled from its summer recess on Wednesday, August 18 to give MPs the opportunity to debate the situation in Afghanistan.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “It would be fair to say events in Afghanistan have unfolded and the collapse [of the Afghan government] has been faster than even the Taliban themselves predicated.

“What is not true is to say the UK government was unprepared or did not foresee this.”

The PM said that the Taliban will be judged on ‘actions rather than words’ after the terrorist organisation promised to observe human rights.

However, the Government faced huge criticism from MPs across the political parties, including from Conservative members.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May said that it was “incomprehensible” that the UK was not able to bring together an ‘alternative alliance’ to help sustain the Afghan government.

While Labour leader Keir Starmer criticised Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab for going on holiday as the situation in Afghanistan deteriorated.

Mr Starmer said: “The prime minister’s response to the Taliban arriving at the gates of Kabul was to go on holiday.”

He went on to add: “You cannot coordinate an international response from the beach.”

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