THE Government’s helpline for desperate Afghans trying to flee to Britain is leaving people on hold for up to four hours, an MP has claimed.
Lib Dem Sarah Olney said her own staff were left hanging on the line and blasted: “This is literally a matter of life and death.”
The Richmond Park MP is trying to arrange evacuation for dozens of Afghans who are loved ones of her constituents.
Among them she says is a father being hunted by the Taliban for working for the Afghan Military and NATO as an interpreter.
Ms Olney said her office sent emails to the Home Office with details of 38 people that never got a response, so she called the 24/7 helpline.
She claims one excruciating call lasted five hours – four hours on hold and another giving over all the details.
The MP fumed: “The Government’s failure to set up a workable, transparent system for raising urgent cases is not just staggering – it is morally negligent.
“The situation will no doubt be even harder for those who don’t have an MP to fight their corner.”
The Home Office shot back that she should not have been clogging up the public helpline in the first place – but using the private number for MPs.
A Government spokesperson said: “MPs and their offices should not use this phone line. If they do so they are adding to waiting times.
“They instead have a dedicated line and we acknowledge all contact from MP offices. Each case is picked up following receipt of the email or call.”
Officials have taken details for over 20,000 people since the Afghanistan helpline opened last week.
Of the 8,458 people evacuated from Kabul since August 14, 5,171 are Afghans.
