Edinburgh taxi driver whose family fled Afghanistan gets licence renewed despite legal issueA taxi driver who fled Afghanistan while he was young has been granted a taxi licence renewal after facing difficulties in getting a criminal background check from that country
An Edinburgh taxi driver whose family fled Afghanistan when he was a child has been allowed to renew his licence despite a complicated legal situation.
Taxi drivers in the Capital need to list any country they’ve lived in for six months or more, and provide criminal background checks from each.
It is unclear why Mr Khan did not include his time living in Afghanistan on previous licence renewals.
He had been able to provide a criminal background check from Pakistan, where he had lived for a period of time in the past.
Mr Khan told councillors: “I was born in Afghanistan, and the situation was not great, I’m sure the situation is the same after all the time passes.
“I was very young when I came to Edinburgh, I was well supported through everything I’ve done, luckily – I started my life through going to college, university.
“My wife and kids, they are from Pakistan, so I went during the Covid times. So I’ve got the police clearance forms from there.
“Unfortunate, the situation in Afghanistan, I can’t go back – I’ve never been back. None of the family does exist.
“I went through the British Red Cross to trace my family. They say the village I lived in does not exist anymore.”
He told councillors that he was a dental technician by trade, but lost his job during the pandemic.
Conservative councillor Joanna Mowat said: “Officers don’t have delegated powers where someone has come from a country where we can’t get these criminal record checks.
“Mr Khan has had two previous licences, there’s nothing since the age of 17, 25 years that he’s lived in Edinburgh.
“So I would be minded to recommend that we grant the application.”
Councillors verbally approved the grant of the licence.
source:
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/ed ... y-32450515
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