Britain will begin airlifting 2,000 Iraqis out of their native country as part of a plan to help Iraqis who worked for the British military to settle in the UK, The Guardian reported today.

Citing documents it had seen, the newspaper said the Home Office (interior ministry) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) were in discussions with the charity Migrant Helpline to help the Iraqis settle in Britain.

Spokespeople for both the MoD and the foreign ministry were unable to immediately comment on the report when contacted by AFP.

"The (Iraqis) will be accommodated for two days in Slough (west of London) prior to being transferred to resettlement areas in the north or in Scotland," the documents cited by The Guardian said.

According to The Guardian, the foreign ministry said some 450 applications for resettlement in Britain has been accepted, while around 450 had been denied, with a further 100 undecided and 100 being processed.

The total of 2,000 Iraqis includes the dependents of the local staff being transferred.

The transfers will occur over a 17-month period beginning from next month, the newspaper said, with flights carrying up to 100 Iraqis every fortnight.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced in October that Britain would help Iraqi local staff who have worked for British forces to settle in Iraq and elsewhere, including Britain under agreed circumstances.

Local staff including interpreters and translators who have worked for Britain for 12 months or more will be eligible for financial and other support, he said in a statement to lawmakers.

-AFP