"I think we should certainly be taking in Afghan refugees"
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has been speaking ahead of a debate in Parliament later.
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones is backing calls for the UK to take in refugees fleeing Afghanistan.
MPs are gathering in Parliament later to debate the ongoing crisis in the country, with the Prime Minister expected to announce a "bespoke" resettlement scheme to help Afghans claim asylum in the UK.
Mr Jones says: "I think we should certainly be taking in Afghan refugees; I think we have been taking in Afghan refugees - the council here in Harrogate has volunteered to play its part in doing just that.
"The scale of the collapse of the Afghan government has caught people by surprise. I think the security concerns have been visible for a while - for example the government in April told people to start leaving the country.
"Now we have to look at getting British nationals out, helping people out who have served their country and then we have to look at the issue of asylum. We should feel very worried about what is going on in Afghanistan.
"The last time the Taliban were in power there the country became a safe haven for international terrorism and it financed itself by supplying enormous quantities of heroin across the world.
"The Taliban's record on human rights is appalling, so we should feel very concerned about what's happened there".
Mr Jones adds that he believes a continued military presence from UK forces would be difficult to maintain: "The key thing is to focus on securing the safety of British nationals who are there; between 2,500 and 3,000 British nationals have contacted the Foreign Office in the last few days about getting out.
"We also know that there are Afghans who have served our country and their families who could be under threat - and they need to be given safe passage out as well".