THE Tories have only resettled one Afghan family in Britain under its “unprecedented” relocation scheme, despite announcing it more than five months ago. 

Immigration minister Victoria Atkins officially opened the Afghan Citizen’s Resettlement Scheme today, which seeks to settle up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan in Britain over five years. 

The minister said that the first Afghan family has been granted indefinite leave to remain under the scheme, announced last August during the Taliban’s takeover of the country. 

She confirmed that the first people to be resettled and counted in the 20,000 figure are Afghan refugees who are already in Britain.

This is the first pathway that Afghans can access the scheme, she told MPs. 

A second pathway, opening from the spring, will allow the United Nations Refugee Agency to refer refugees, while a third, not opening till next year, will resettle those who worked for the British Council.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper pointed out that this could be too late for some people at risk, stressing: “What are people currently in hiding supposed to do until then?” 

Ms Cooper said that it “shameful” that “those we promised to help [are] still in peril, British nationals and British Council staff and others still in hiding, family members have been executed.”

Mr Atkins also faced questions on the remaining capacity of the scheme, given many places are now filled by those already in Britain.  

Responding, Ms Atkins claimed that she could not give specific figures because of the “security situation in the region” of Afghanistan. 

But campaigners criticised ministers for refusing to “come clean” about the numbers.

Refugee Action head of services and safeguarding Louise Calvey said: “We are concerned that this much-vaunted resettlement scheme will actually offer no route to safety for people still stuck in and around Afghanistan.  

“The government must not abandon them by fudging the numbers. This scheme must welcome 20,000 people who are yet to arrive in the UK.” 

Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomon said that he was “deeply disappointed and dismayed” that the scheme currently does nothing for people at risk in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries. 

“The announcement made today only goes as far as confirming that people in neighbouring countries will be able to access the scheme from the spring and that the pathway for people still in Afghanistan will be limited to a small cohort of people in the first year, leaving thousands of extremely vulnerable people in great danger,” he warned. 

Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants policy manager Zoe Gardner said: "Over the past six months, we’ve seen this government repeatedly shirk its duty towards the Afghan people.

"And now their abandonment of Afghan refugees is clearer than ever, as we’re seeing government manipulate resettlement figures to include initial evacuees, and turn their back on vulnerable minorities, women and girls."