According to Sky News sources, a person was able to get on a British military aircraft to the United Kingdom by evading security screening at Kabul's airport. The individual was not on Britain's No Fly watchlist. He was flown to Birmingham, but cannot be returned to Afghanistan because of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
The UK's No-Fly List, just like the US, identifies people who are a security risk to the country. The watchlist does not allow for disruptive passengers or unruly passengers. Only intelligence agencies are allowed to add or subtract people from the watchlist.
The British government refused to identify the person who managed not to be detected on the watchlist amid chaos and confusion in Kabul. After officials became aware of the situation overnight, it is unknown if the person was detained.
Sky News reports that the security breach was discovered during partliament members' briefings on the Afghanistan evacuation mission. Five people from the UK's No-Fly List have attempted to board British military aircrafts departing Kabul. Four of them were stopped by security personnel before they reached Afghanistan.
Although it is believed that a sixth person was intercepted in Frankfurt by the police, it is not immediately clear how he got there.
Despite the harrowing scenes at Kabul's airport, lawmakers were informed about the importance of troop background checks for anyone trying to flee Afghanistan. In an effort to leave the country, there has been an increase in people using fake documents and impersonating others.
A spokesperson for the British government stated Monday that there are individuals in Afghanistan that pose a serious threat of national security.
This is why government, intelligence agencies of the highest calibre and others conduct thorough checks. A statement from the government said that if any is deemed to be a threat to our country, we will take appropriate action.
Troops on ground were tasked to complete security checks and evacuate as many refugees from the country as possible before the Taliban call for an evacuation operation.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden made a speech in which he stressed that Afghan refugees would have to be security vetted in another country before they can board commercial flights to the United States.
Kabul is not the destination for planes that take off from there. He explained that they land at U.S. military bases around the globe and transit centers around world. We are screening everyone who isn't a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or legal alien.
He said that all Americans who arrive in the United States must have a criminal background check.
