The UK’s ambassador to Afghanistan has remained at Kabul airport to help process the applications of those seeking to leave.
Despite the scramble to evacuate as the Taliban advances into the capital, the ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow was said to be remaining in the city last night to help out.
Boris Johnson said he was at the airport helping to process the applications of those seeking to leave.
So @Channel4News says the British Ambassador to Afghanistan remains at the airport in Kabul personally processing visas for interpreters. Respect.
— Alex Hughes (@alex_ah60) August 15, 2021
Rescue operation
The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) told MailOnline: “We have reduced our diplomatic presence in response to the situation on the ground.
“However our Ambassador remains in Kabul and UK Government staff continue to work to provide assistance to British nationals and to our Afghan staff.
“We are doing all we can to enable remaining British nationals, who want to leave Afghanistan, to do so.”
As many as 2,000 interpreters and their families – who fear being branded as ‘traitors’ by the extremist Taliban – are in line to be rescued.
There are also 3,000 entitled personnel – British and dual passport holders – who may also need evacuation by the UK Government.
These include aid workers and security officials stationed over in Afghanistan.
Kabul airport
While the airport has so far not come under attack, there are fears that could change quickly with Taliban insurgents now effectively in control of the capital.
Triumphant fighters were pictured in the presidential palace abandoned by President Ashraf Ghani who fled the country while his forces gave up the city without a fight.
Following a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergencies committee, Boris Johnson his priority was to get UK nationals and Afghans who had worked with them out of the country “as fast as we can”.
But in news that will come as a shock to many, it was reported that the foreign secretary Dominic Raab only returned from his holiday last night.
He was advised to not go on holiday as tensions in the country heated up, but he went anyway.
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