Campaigner describes 'wonderful' moment meeting Afghan refugee family she helped bring to UK

A campaigner from Bridgend who helps interpreters flee Afghanistan described the "wonderful" moment when she met with one of the families she has successfully managed to bring to the UK.

Carolyn Webster, 47, said she felt "relief" to see them in person after falling into assisting Afghan refugees "by accident".

Sayed, a father aged in his early 30s who did not want his surname used, is one of the people Ms Webster has helped.

Ms Webster was brought face to face with his family on Saturday 18 September and got to hold his baby daughter.

The 47-year-old councillor started helping individuals trying to leave Afghanistan after sending a tweet supporting the relocation of British Army interpreters to the UK.

Following that social media post, a number of people got in touch with her to ask if she could help with their Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) appeals - as well as assistance with getting them on to a plane.

Ms Webster has successfully appealed on behalf of a number of Afghans who were initially turned down for the Arap scheme.

In mid-September, she was able to meet one of the families she has helped and told the PA news agency she was relieved to see them face to face.

She said: "It was a relief, actually. You spend so long on WhatsApp to people, whether they're in the UK or in Afghanistan.

"But when you finally get to meet them it's wonderful because they share so much of their life with you.

"It's important for all of the evacuees to know that people support them."

Sayed was an interpreter for the British Army for three years until he received life-changing injuries from an improvised explosive device.

The British Embassy advised him to travel to Kabul after the Taliban claimed control of the capital city in August. Once there, Sayed hid with his family for several days. Finally he received a phone call telling him to meet some British soldiers who could get him over the barbed wire and onto a flight at the aiport.

Sayed told PA: "I am very much thankful to Carolyn and those who have helped us in all steps and they will always be in our hearts.

"We are safe and very happy now and we are welcomed warmly."

More than 15,000 people were flown out of Afghanistan on UK military flights over the space of two weeks. Despite that effort, the UK Government previously said the believe 800-1,000 individuals eligible for the Arap scheme would be left behind.

Ms Webster said she and a small group of volunteers are working with a number of military interpreters and their families who were called forward for evacuation flights but could not make it through Taliban checkpoints.

"We are supporting a large number of people who were called forward to the airport," she said.

"They were called forward, they tried to get in, but were beaten back by the Taliban, on the checkpoints, or they physically couldn't get past the crowds at the other gate."

She criticised UK Government's communication and said since August, they have received no guidance on how to proceed helping individuals.

"We will call back and the Government hasn't communicated with them since," she said.

"I'm having daily conversations with people (asking) 'any news, ma'am? Any news ma'am?'

"We want to engage with the Foreign, Commonwealth (and Development) Office, to be able to say this is what's happening with these guys.

"To (Foreign Secretary) Liz Truss and her department... reach out to us and speak with us so we can get the information that we need."

Ms Webster said we have a "moral duty" to help the interpreters who protected our soldiers and put their own lives in danger.

She said: "They saved our soldiers' lives. They were guiding and protecting our soldiers and we have a moral duty to be able to support those interpreters to come here.

"They are being hunted. I've had probably about 20 more people approach me today saying that their houses are being searched, their families are being assaulted because of their work with our country."

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "During Operation Pitting, we worked tirelessly to safely evacuate as many people out of Afghanistan as possible, airlifting more than 15,000 people from Kabul including thousands of Arap applicants and their dependents.

"We will continue to do all we can to support those who have supported us, and our commitment to those who are eligible for relocation is not time-limited and will endure.

"The Arap scheme remains open to applications and we will continue to support those who are eligible."