Like other Western nations, Spain in August 2021 rushed to evacuate Afghans who helped Spanish troops and diplomats, as Taliban took over Kabul
Madrid sent some 27,000 troops to Afghanistan over almost 20 years of involvement in the conflict of which a total of 102 of its soldiers died
A plane carrying around 300 Afghans who worked for Spain and their families arrived in Madrid from Pakistan on Wednesday, one year on from the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul.Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares was at Madrid’s Torrejon de Ardoz airbase to meet them when the flight from Islamabad landed at Madrid’s Torrejon de Ardoz airbase at around 10:15 pm (2015 GMT).The government would now work “to help these people to integrate, given that it will be difficult for them to return to Afghanistan in the near future”, Albares told reporters at the airport.Like other Western nations, Spain in August 2021 rushed to evacuate Afghans who helped Spanish troops and diplomats, as Taliban insurgents made rapid territorial gains across Afghanistan.
Afghans refugees arrived from Islamabad in an airplane chartered by Spain, at the Torrejón de Ardoz military air base, Eastern Madrid, on August 10, 2022.(AFP)
Spain evacuated more than 2,000 people during the Western withdrawal as the Taliban seized power.
Most of them were Afghans at risk of reprisals from the new Taliban rulers for having worked for Spanish forces or the Spanish embassy during nearly two decades of NATO presence in Afghanistan.
But the flights had to stop once the final US troops that had been protecting Kabul’s airport left at the end of August 2021.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at the time that Madrid would not “lose interest in the Afghans who had remained” in their country but wanted to leave.
Since then a handful of planes have brought hundreds more Afghan citizens to Spain who had managed to cross into other nations such as Pakistan, Turkey and Iran.
Madrid sent some 27,000 troops to Afghanistan over almost 20 years of involvement in the conflict. A total of 102 of its soldiers died.
[adinserter block="5"]
Today's Headlines
The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.
The Fourth of July is a sacred day in our country. A day of history, of hope, remembrance and resolve with promise and possibilities. Before me stands monuments of the…
The Gulf country is setting a new benchmark for supporting working mothers by doubling the mandated maternity leave to 120 days, Kathryn Martin VFS Global tell TRENDS.
The government would provide thirty-five percent of the investments The rest of it, sixty-five percent, will come from the private sector Saudi Arabia expects to generate $150 billion from investments…
PwC forecasts that AI could contribute US$320 billion to Middle Eastern economies by 2030, with healthcare predicted to see some of the largest gains relative to its current size
The region, fueled by ambition and massive investment, is rapidly advancing in technology and infrastructure, aiming to secure a leading role in the 4IR.
