Government approves programme to help Afghan translators threatened by Taliban

The Czech government has approved a Defence Ministry program aimed at helping Afghan translators who helped Czech soldiers during the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The plan, which counts on financial support and the option of offering asylum, was given the green light at an extraordinary meeting on Friday. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said that the programme has now been officially confirmed and will be activated as soon as possible.

The program is designed to take into account the complexity of the service rendered by the individuals and to accommodate their personal preferences, Defence Minister Lubomír Metnar said. It does not endanger the security of Czech citizens and respects current legislation, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Afghan translators and other support staff who helped NATO troops in Afghanistan are currently facing the threat of retaliation from advancing Taliban forces.