The United Kingdom on Tuesday offered to provide shelter to 20,000 people fleeing from Afghanistan as the security situation in the country mounts with uncertainty. The rehabilitation scheme will start with giving place to 5,000 people in the first year and then extended the number to 20,000 on a long-term basis.

Authorities said that those who are most at risk, which includes Afghan women and children, would be given priority as they attempt to get shelter in the United Kingdom. The scheme could also provide people a chance to remain in the country indefinitely, according to reports from AFP.

The Home Office of the United Kingdom said in a statement, “This resettlement scheme will be kept under further review for future years, with up to a total of 20,000 in the long term”, according to reports from AFP.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “We owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have worked with us to make Afghanistan a better place over the last 20 years” while urging world leaders to assemble for a G7 meet to talk about the situation in Afghanistan. Johnson said the countries needed a “unified approach” towards the matter.

Also Read: Explained: How the United Kingdom got involved in the Afghanistan war

An emergency session will be called in the British parliament on Wednesday as politicians come together to discuss the fall of the Afghan government after the Taliban assumed control over the country’s national capital Kabul on Sunday.

Nearly 9,000 troops from the United Kingdom have been sent off to Afghanistan’s Kabul to assist in the evacuation efforts of British civilians, which include nationals and staff from the embassy, according to reports from AFP.

Canada has said that it will take 20,000 Afghan migrants. After resuming rescue operations late on Monday, the US aims at resettling more than 22,000 Afghans. The UK has a scheme for Afghans that have been employed by the military and embassy.