MINISTERS have been told they must urgently grant amnesty to refugees fleeing Afghanistan and withdraw all troops from the country following two decades of Western intervention. 

A demonstration held outside the Home Office’s headquarters yesterday saw campaigners call for the government to allow more Afghans to seek asylum in Britain and allow those already in the country to remain. 

Speakers at the protest, organised by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) and the Afghan Human Rights Foundation, called for no limit to be placed on the number of refugees coming to Britain, with the UK government’s current proposals described as woefully inadequate.

Many Afghans are already in Britain and have been refused asylum, with the Home Office waiting to deport these individuals, with charities calling for the UK and US to apologise for their actions in the past two decades. 

Mohammad Asif of the Afghan Human Rights Foundation said: “The current situation in Afghanistan is the biggest betrayal in the 21st century. Afghans were deceived and abandoned by the UK and the US for the second time. We will not forget your betrayal. 

“Now that the West have abandoned Afghanistan the very least they could do is to apologise to the British and Afghan people for their failure.

“We call upon Priti Patel to immediately announce amnesty for the UK-based Afghan asylum seekers and to grant them humanitarian protection.”

Among the speakers on Monday evening were Labour MP and former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott. 

She said: “Like other US military projects, the Afghan war was a shameful episode from beginning to end.

“It is imbecilic of people like Tony Blair to argue for never-ending wars and completely ignore the disastrous failure of this conflict.

“One way in which the government can make partial amends is to allow far more refugees from Afghanistan, and to stop deporting current asylum-seekers."

Stand Up to Racism organisers said the government’s anti-refugee Nationality and Borders Bill should immediately be scrapped, with calls for a more compassionate approach to immigration. 

Sabby Dhalu, co-convenor of Stand up to Racism, said: “We demand that the government provide sanctuary for all Afghans that need to seek asylum in Britain.

“As the humanitarian crisis further unfolds it’s clear more needs to be done. 

“We support the call for an amnesty for Britain-based Afghan asylum-seekers. It beggars belief that Afghan asylum-seekers have been refused asylum. This must be reversed.” 

The calls come as Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon suggested UK forces should stay in Afghanistan for as long as required. 

A deadline of August 31 has been agreed with the Taliban for Western forces to leave, but the British government has said not everyone eligible for evacuation will be airlifted out.

Ms Sturgeon said Scotland stands ready and willing to receive greater numbers of refugees from Afghanistan. 

Anti-war campaigners hit out at the suggestions that Nato countries should remain in Afghanistan. 

Stop the War said it was Britain’s responsibility to help Afghanistan rebuild its society that has been so damaged by Bush and Blair’s war.

Lindsey German, Stop the War convener, said: “We cannot continue to spend billions on dangerous and counterproductive wars while denying some of the poorest and most vulnerable people asylum, or subjecting them to the hideous hostile environment created by (Home Secretary) Priti Patel. 

“Nicola Sturgeon’s view that British troops should stay in Afghanistan shows a total ignorance of the role the military occupiers have played. They have contributed to the worsening situation not helped solve problems. 

“Afghans have endured relentless bombing from the air, raids on their houses, the killing of children and wedding parties, presided over by a corrupt government. This is the background to Taliban resurgence. The troops must go.”

The Home Office was approached for comment.