The controversy over the Afghans dates back to February 2000, when they hijacked a Boeing 727 and forced the crew to fly to Stansted in Essex so they could claim asylum.
After a series of court cases and legal battles costing taxpayers up to £15m, they were denied refugee status but told they could stay here on 'discretionary leave' for human rights reasons.
It gave the men - Reshad Ahmadi, Abdul Shohab, Abdul Ghayur, Taimur Shah, Nazzamuddin Mohammidy, Mohammed Kazin, Ali Safi, Mohammed Safi and Mohammed Showaib - the right to work, a full range of benefits worth tens of thousands of pounds and housing.
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