Yesterday, outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigrid Kaag said that there are still more than 700 Dutch people being in Afghanistan. Last week there was strong criticism of the Dutch evacuation policy from the House of Representatives, among others. Kaag admitted in a debate that the situation has been misjudged.
Since Wednesday, the Dutch authorities have established a so-called air bridge for evacuations. That day, a military C-17 aircraft with 35 passengers, including Dutchmen, arrived. Yesterday an Airbus A330 with 180 passengers landed.
Several flights are also planned for tomorrow, the ministry reports. The flights do not go directly from Kabul to the Netherlands, there is always a stopover first in a country that is safe according to the Ministry of Defense.
Refugees in Zoutkamp
Yesterday the first evacuees arrived at the reception location in Zoutkamp, Groningen. Since then, according to the latest figures, 78 Afghan refugees have been received at the Willem Lodewijk van Nassaukazerne. In total there is room for 540 people in the military complex.
Even before the Taliban took power, people were transferred to the Netherlands. According to the Ministry of Defense, 111 Afghan interpreters have been in the Netherlands for some time with their families. In total, it concerns 500 people, most of them have arrived since 2018.
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