Former British Army chief backs our campaign to stop deportation of hero Afghan pilot

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April 10, 2023 View online 1 / Former British Army chief backs our campaign to stop deportation of hero Afghan pilot A former head of the British Army has backed The Independent's campaign to stop the threatened deportation of an Afghan war veteran to Rwanda – saying the pilot is a "special case" for asylum.    Sir Richard Dannatt said there was a "flaw" in the government policy if Afghans who helped British forces could be deported in the crackdown on small boat crossings.   "Clearly there is a flaw in evolving British policy," Lord Dannatt told The Independent. "While the pressure is on to reduce small boat crossings, Afghans who have worked with the British, like this pilot, must be a special case."   Lord Dannatt said the former Afghan force pilot – who fought against and had to flee the Taliban – should be eligible for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) refugee scheme. 2 / Charles and Camilla to break with tradition for coronation journey to Westminster Abbey Monarch and Camilla have personally chosen to make outward journey in the more comfortable Diamond Jubilee State Coach 3 / Ambulance crisis 'horror' forcing Britons to make their own way to hospital One in three people say they have had to drive or even take public transport to provide emergency care to their loved ones 4 / Keir Starmer faces Easter uprising over Labour campaign attacking Rishi Sunak Labour MPs complain to their leader and warn 'ugly' new tactics will backfire in blue wall 5 / UK weather: Easter sunshine gives way to 60mph gales as Met Office issues wind warnings Travel disruption likely, as some areas at risk of hail and thunderstorms, says Met Office The Big Question How did Boris Johnson – and Brexit – almost unravel the Good Friday Agreement? Interesting fact as we reach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: there is no actual reference to a "hard border" or "soft border", or anything like that, to be found in the famous text. It is certainly a matter of hard political reality, though, that the GFA relies on there being no hard land-border between Ireland (ie the EU) and Northern Ireland (ie the UK). That is why we have a partial trade border down the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland instead. The border had to go somewhere. If it was to be on the island of Ireland it would be unacceptable to nationalists and republicans, and most unionists. But if it was plonked down the Irish Sea, then, as we see now, unionists will find it irksome, alienating and equally unacceptable. The origins of the present troubles, and the (thankfully still slight) risk of a return to the Troubles, lies in Brexit and its impact. Reconciling Brexit with the Irish peace process is a frankly insoluble problem, like a Rubik's Cube that someone has secretly sabotaged. The best you can do is to get it mostly right, which is where Rishi Sunak's Windsor Framework is superior to Boris Johnson's original Northern Ireland protocol. For the full story click here  £99 £20 for 1 year ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more SUBSCRIBE NOW WATCH / China conducts military drills close to Taiwan after US House speaker meeting NUMBER OF THE DAY 3 – Shoppers were left stranded in a Cardiff multi-storey car park for up to three hours over the Easter bank holiday weekend, with some choosing to abandon their cars altogether. Read more here  Quote of the day "It seems they are intent on maintaining a militant stance rather than working with the government and NHS management to meet the best interests of their members and of patients." – Health secretary Steve Barclay has accused a union of taking a "militant stance" to negotiations over pay for junior doctors as medics prepare to strike for four days next week. Read more here We noticed that you might not be registered By registering, you will enjoy limited access to Independent Premium articles, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists REGISTER FOR FREE Other stories you might like Murderer who faked death to escape prison arrested after two-week manhunt Worst airlines for flight delays revealed Home Office accused of 'blocking' MPs from helping asylum seeker constituents Articles available exclusively to subscribers Borzou Daragahi - Is the world on the precipice of a second cold war? 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