First flight bringing Afghan refugees from Pakistan lands in UK

The first plane bringing Afghan refugees from Pakistan to the UK has landed at Stansted Airport.

The flight from Islamabad Airport had 132 people on board, official sources in Pakistan told the BBC. Thousands of people who worked with or for the UK government in Afghanistan and fled the Taliban have been waiting in Pakistan for relocation. Among them are former translators for the British Army and teachers for the British Council. All are part of either the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme or Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy. They had been asked to go to Pakistan for visa processing, but charities say some have been waiting for more than a year. Earlier this month, Pakistan said it planned to start deporting illegal migrants from 1 November. The Civil Aviation Authority said it was the first of 12 flights chartered by the UK government to bring Afghans to the UK between now and late December. ?