The Liberal Democrats are calling for the Labour Government to grant asylum to Iraqis whose work for the British has put their lives in danger.

10.52.05pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 10th Aug 2007

Cllr Stephanie Eaton with interpreter Assaf (killed in Basra 2007)

Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell condemned the Labour Government's approach as "utterly unacceptable and morally unsustainable".

He said: "There is rightly fury and indignation from soldiers who have served alongside these people in Iraq. One tells of an interpreter whose wife and family had a gun held to their heads by the militia and ordered to leave the country within three days. Yet he was immediately turned down for refugee status."

Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Moore said: "There is a clear moral obligation to provide asylum for those Iraqis, particularly interpreters, whose work has left them extremely vulnerable to torture and murder. We cannot turn our backs on those who are at risk because of the assistance they gave British forces."

Tony Blair decided not to grant asylum to the interpreters. The new Prime Minister has announced a review into how the translators are treated but the Defence Secretary has said a decision may not be taken for months.

Tower Hamlets Liberal Democrat Councillor Stephanie Eaton spoke of her own experience of working with Iraqi interpreters commenting "I have been privileged to work with Iraqi Judges, Police and Prison service staff with the support of local interpreters. These brave people are essential if the coalition forces' work is going to improve the situation in Iraq. They run immense risks and often cannot continue to live and work safely in Iraq. We owe them the security of asylum in the UK."

Though Liberal Democrats will continue to condemn the war, we also recognise that those who have risked their lives in their work for the British government deserve a fair hearing and they deserve it now. You can help bring that about by backing our campaign at: http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/interpreters