Hamzah, 35, described as ‘diligent, honest and hardworking’ by former British colleagues ‘Me and my family are not safe in Afghanistan … my personal security remains a major concern’ LONDON: A former Afghan interpreter who worked for the British Army has been refused sanctuary in the UK for a third time. Hamzah, 35, a married father of four, now lives in fear for his life in Afghanistan after the three rejections. His former British colleagues describing him as “diligent, honest and hardworking,” The Times reported. He served alongside UK forces in Afghanistan’s Helmand province in 2011, during operations against the Taliban. After the UK Ministry of Defence rejected his application on the grounds that he was on a “watch list” for security concerns, Hamzah said the decision was a case of mistaken identity. On previous occasions, he was rejected for other reasons. Hamzah’s first application was refused because he “was not directly employed” by the UK government during his service in Afghanistan. He told The Times: “Me and my family are not safe in Afghanistan. My personal security remains a major concern. I am forced to relocate frequently to mitigate the ongoing risks to my safety. “I dedicated my service to the UK and feel deeply let down,” he added, saying he has faced death threats from the Taliban and received a warning letter in 2014. A serving UK officer told The Times that he would support Hamzah’s sanctuary application with Britain’s Afghan relocations and assistance policy. “During his time with us he was diligent, honest, hardworking and an asset. He worked openly without a face covering and ensured that the translation effect he provided was clear and matched my intent,” the officer said. “I personally found him to be a pleasant and hardworking man and was glad of his help, always.” A major in the army’s Royal Logistic Corps said that Hamzah was a “loyal professional and accurate interpreter” during his service. “His faithful translations have enabled the battle group to work side by side with the Afghan National Army and assist in the move towards a more secure and prosperous Afghanistan with the minimum of frictions. “He is wholeheartedly recommended to any future employee.” A former major general who served in Afghanistan, Charlie Herbert, said that the Ministry of Defence had previously rejected sanctuary applications in error. “We’ve seen several instances where applicants were initially rejected on spurious grounds which were proven incorrect or untrue. “One sincerely hopes that all due diligence is done to review this individual’s case.”