Iraqi interpreters said yesterday that they feared Britain would not honour its promise to offer sanctuary to those under threat of attack from insurgents.

Jubilation at Gordon Brown’s announcement this week that Britain would rescue Iraqi staff at risk turned to anxiety and disappointment as many feared that they would be abandoned when British troops withdraw from Basra.

Hundreds of serving and former Iraqi employees longing for a new life in the United Kingdom must wait for more details of the policy to be finalised before learning whether they will qualify for one of a limited number of places.

Others will be left with the option of payment to relocate in Iraq or elsewhere in the region, though critics note that the money on offer is grossly inadequate.

“All the interpreters are waiting. This week we count the hours until we hear something more about the details of the decision,” said Mr al-Saraj, one of the first Iraqis to work for the British forces as an interpreter after the invasion. He admitted to feeling disappointed at the assistance package, fleshed out by David Miliband in a written statement on Tuesday, but not surprised.

Similar concerns were raised by MPs on Tuesday night when the shortcomings of the Prime Minister’s compensation plan were discussed. Chris Bryant, a Labour MP, said that the Government had been “very ungenerous” at asylum requests from Iraq.

The offer has been criticised because the average compensation package amounts to a few thousand pounds - insufficient to over the cost of moving a family from Iraq and resettling them in a neighbouring country.

In addition, in the two months it has taken the Government to outline its offer, many Iraqi interpreters or their family members have been killed, kidnapped or forced to flee the country. Those who remain face a bureaucratic process that could take months or even years to complete.

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