11 Oct, 2021 @ 12:59
1 min read

Spain pledges to evacuate more Afghans and their families from Taliban threat

290 Evacuees From Afghanistan Land At Torrejón De Ardoz Air Base In Madrid, Spain 24 Aug 2021
Afghan families arrive at Torrejón de Ardoz air base in Madrid. A plane with 290 evacuees from Afghanistan has landed at Torrejón de Ardoz air base in Madrid. In total, 1105 people evacuated from the Asian country have landed in Spain since the Taliban seized power. (Photo by Diego Radames / SOPA Images/Sipa USA) *** Local Caption *** 34709041

SPAIN has said it will launch a new evacuation operation to extract those Afghans who worked for Spanish authorities and are now at risk from the Taliban.

Spain’s Defence Ministry announced on Sunday that new plans were being drawn up with help from the foreign ministry for a new evacuation mission to estract those not included in the initial airlifts from Kabul.

“An operation is underway to extract people who had worked for Spain in the coming hours or days,” Defense Minister Margarita Robles said. “Spain does not leave anyone behind.”

290 Evacuees From Afghanistan Land At Torrejón De Ardoz Air Base In Madrid, Spain 24 Aug 2021
Afghan families arrive at Torrejón de Ardoz air base in Madridin August. Photo: Cordon Press

No further details were given but Spain’s press agency Efe reported the plan involved extracting some 200 people through Pakistan.

RTVE reported that 130 Afghanis with links to Spain had already crossed into Pakistan and were waiting to be evacuated.

Last month Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, travelled to Pakistan to negotiate safe passage for Afghan refugees who helped Spanish forces.

Spain airlifted some 2,200 people — Spaniards and Afghans — from Afghanistan in the first days of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan as the US withdrew troops in August.

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Fiona Govan

Fiona Govan joined The Olive Press in March 2021. She moved to Spain in 2006 to be The Daily Telegraph’s Madrid correspondent and then worked for six years as Editor of The Local Spain. She lives in Madrid’s Malasaña district with her dog Rufus.

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