Cabinet meets Parliament with reception of Afghans | Inland

Late on Wednesday evening, ministers Kaag (Foreign Affairs), Bijleveld (Defence) and State Secretary Broekers-Knol (Asylum) sent a letter outlining how this motion should be implemented.

People who were “long-term hired by the Netherlands or who had a contract with the Netherlands receive the same treatment as the Afghan interpreters if they apply for asylum in the Netherlands.” All other evacuees are classified as a ‘risk group’. Their applications are treated individually. The interpreters have been subject to a special arrangement for some time, which entitles them to asylum in the Netherlands. Many of them are already here. The conditions for this are that they have worked as interpreters and do not pose a threat to national security.

Activists and fixers

The cabinet also explains the evacuation policy. In addition to the Dutch embassy employees, Dutch people in Afghanistan, the interpreters and the local staff, our country is also trying to evacuate “as many” Afghans as possible who have worked for the Netherlands and are therefore at risk. “In particular employees of Dutch development projects, human rights and women’s rights defenders, and journalists and their fixers.” People will have to make their own way to the Kabul airport.

As long as the American troops hold sway at Kabul airport, there can be evacuated, the three outgoing ministers emphasize. “As soon as security is no longer guaranteed by the US, there will be no possibilities for the coalition to carry out evacuation flights in the current circumstances.”

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