- Title: Plane with 53 evacuees from Afghanistan lands in Spain
- Date: 19th August 2021
- Summary: PROCESSING CENTRE BESIDES RUNWAY
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2021 05:49
- Keywords: Afghanistan Plane Refugees Spain
- Location: TORREJON DE ARDOZ, SPAIN
- City: TORREJON DE ARDOZ, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Europe,Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA005EQY48XZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A plane carrying evacuees fleeing the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan arrived in Spain early on Thursday morning (August 19).
Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the plane brought 53 people, five of them Spanish diplomats. The remaining 48 are Afghans working for Spain in Afghanistan and their families.
Spain plans to airlift around 500 people including Spanish embassy staff and Afghans who worked with them and their families from Kabul, radio station Cadena SER said, citing sources close to the evacuation.
Albares said Spain's goal is to bring them all to Europe as soon as possible but warned of the challenges the mission is facing on the ground in Kabul.
"Spain has provided all the necessary resources for this process such as means of transport and phone contacts. But the Kabul airport is not in Spain's hands."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered on Tuesday (August 17) to create a hub for the hundreds of Afghan refugees to be airlifted out of Kabul to the European Union but did not give details.
Since the Taliban entered Kabul over the weekend, scenes of chaos have unfolded as thousands seek to leave, fearing a return to the austere interpretation of Islamic law imposed during the previous Taliban rule that ended 20 years ago.
(Production: Michael Gore, Marco Trujillo, Juan Medina, Anna Valderrama) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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