Britain To Allow Afghan Interpreters To Live In Britain

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron had opposed calls to allow interpreters and their families to settle in Britain, but backed down following a campaign.

Some 600 Afghan interpreters who worked for British forces in Afghanistan will be given the right to live in Britain.

According to unnamed British government officials, Afghan interpreters who worked on the front line for at least a year will be offered a five-year visa at first.

Prime Minister David Cameron had opposed calls to allow interpreters and their families to settle in Britain, but backed down following a campaign.

Afghan interpreters say that, if they were to return to Afghanistan, they would face the threat of possible attack by the Taliban and other militants because of their work for foreign forces.

Britain is set to withdraw 3,800 of the country's 9,000 troops from Afghanistan this year, as the NATO-led international force prepares to withdraw all combat troops by the end of 2014.

Based on reporting by AFP and the BBC