'Government ignores plight of interpreters'

The Government is reportedly ignoring pleas by British military personnel to secure asylum for scores of Iraqi interpreters.

Around 91 interpreters and their families are said to be at risk of being tortured or killed having been seen by Iraqi militants as "collaborators" for working with UK forces.

In recent years, hundreds of interpreters and other locally engaged staff working for the coalition have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered.

On Monday, Tom Porteous, the director of Human Rights Watch in the UK, said that the Government should reverse its policy while British politicians and serving officers have also appealed on behalf of the interpreters.

One interpreter, A Kinani, made a personal appeal to Tony Blair when he visited Iraq in May. His reference from Major Pauric Newland, which was handed to Mr Blair's aide Ruth Turner, stated his life would be at risk once UK forces left the country.

The Iraqi received a reply sent on June 22 by former foreign policy adviser Nick Banner who told Mr Kinani that he was ineligible for asylum and suggested he apply for a visa and to look at a website for help.

Prior to leaving southern Iraq, Denmark granted asylum to 60 of its Iraqi staff and their families while the US is accepting 7,000 Iraqi refugees, including former employees.

On Monday, the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Iraqi employees will not receive any help in applying for asylum.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Anyone who is seeking to apply for refugee status must do so from within the United Kingdom. There is no exception to that.

"Their cases will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis against the criteria of the 1951 Refugee Convention."

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: "Britain has benefited from the services of these Iraqis in carrying out our responsibilities in Iraq.

"As Britain reduces its military presence in Iraq, we ought to look to the safety of those who have risked their lives to help us."

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

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