As the situation in Afghanistan continues to escalate, countries around the world are planning for an influx of refugees as Afghan citizens prepare to flee the Taliban.

It comes as the Taliban seize control of the country once more following a 20-year hiatus from power during the war. 

US troops are retreating from the country after signing an agreement with the Taliban, the Islamic militant group who will form the new Government. 

Thousands of Afghan civilians now live in fear of a Taliban regime like that of the 1990s, when terrorism was rife and women and girls had few rights. 

As a result, people are fleeing Afghanistan, with the UN urging neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to refugees. 

Internationally, policies to support refugees are being put in place, with the UK Government set to announce their resettlement plans for Afghan people later today. 

These are expected to mirror the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) introduced in 2014. 

With that in mind, here's what you need to know about the VPRS and how it could act as a model for the UK's plans for Afghan refugees. 

What is the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme?

The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme was launched in response to the refugee crisis as a result of the Syrian civil war. 

As war rages in Syria, more than 4.5 million civilians and counting have been forced to flee their homes since 2011, around 10% of which have sought safety in Europe.

Initially, the VPRS was set up in the UK to help those most in need, such as people requiring urgent medical care, women and children and survivors of violence and torture. 

In 2015, the UK Government then committed to help resettle 20,000 Syrians by 2020, which was then extended to include refugees of different nationalities in need to protection. 

While the scheme has reached its target of resettling 20,000 refugees, the UK Government has drawn criticism for not sufficiently contributing to "alleviating the burden", rehoming less than 0.5% of the estimated 4.5 million people who left Sryia. 

But why does this apply to the current situation? 

With the UK Government set to outline its approach to the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, many people are predicting they will use the VPRS as a model for resettling Afghan refugees. 

Their plans will no doubt come under extreme scrutiny, with calls across the UK urging Westminster to do as much as possible to help those in need. 

The current Conservative Government is no stranger to criticism when it comes to their approach to refugees; indeed, in recent weeks this criticism has been renewed following the proposal of tough immigration measures which could criminalise arriving in the UK without permission. 

Campaigners have dubbed the proposal the "anti-refugee bill" and called the measures "cruel and counterproductive".

On Tuesday, foreign affairs minister Dominic Raab refused to confirm how many refugees the UK would welcome, instead stating his "number one priority" was to stabilise the situation "at the source" so "we don't see these large numbers of migrant flows". 

He added that plans would be set out in "due course", with reports suggesting that the prime minister would announce proposals later on Tuesday.