Afghan girls football team will be allowed to resettle in UK after fleeing Taliban

Members of Afghanistan's national girls football team arrive at the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) in Lahore. (File/AFP)
Short Url
  • The girls faced being sent back to the Taliban once their asylum period ran out in Pakistan
  • 鈥淓very single visa is a life enhanced, the right to education protected and the freedom to play football preserved鈥�: Siddiqi

LONDON: Afghanistan鈥檚 girls football team will be allowed to resettle in the UK after fleeing the Taliban to Pakistan where they currently hold temporary visas.

The UK鈥檚 Home Secretary Priti Patel has authorized the issuing of visas to the girls鈥� squad, their coaches and families, British newspaper The Sun reported. 

The girls faced being sent back to the Taliban once their asylum period ran out in Pakistan. 

A source close to Patel told The Sun that 鈥渢he protection of women and girls鈥� is at the 鈥渉eart of Priti鈥檚 new Afghan resettlement scheme.鈥�

The source added that the football team 鈥渨ill be able to make the UK their home, free from fear and persecution.鈥�

Last month, the chairman of Leeds United Andrea Radrizzani offered to place all the players in the club鈥檚 youth development teams.

He said that the football club was prepared to 鈥済ive the girls a prosperous and peaceful future.鈥�

Kashif Siddiqi, co-founder of charity Football for Peace, thanked UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Patel for the visas.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still waiting to hear, but if confirmed it means 111 Afghan girls, family and coaches have had their lives changed forever by Britain,鈥� Siddiqi said. 

鈥淓very single visa is a life enhanced, the right to education protected and the freedom to play football preserved.鈥�

鈥淲ithout Britain they faced a return to the nightmare that is Afghanistan; this decision gives them futures potentially playing for Leeds United and other clubs,鈥� he said.