Afghan orphans land safely in Australia to start their new life

Ten Afghan orphans have touched down safely in Australia, sparking hope that other vulnerable women and children can be rescued from a life of terror under the Taliban.

The arrival of 10 Afghan orphans on Australian soil has reignited hopes that more vulnerable women and children can be rescued from a life of terror under the Taliban.

The orphans, four adults who work for the Afghan Australian charity Mahboba’s Promise and three of their children touched down at in Australia on Friday morning after a harrowing journey out of Kabul.

Two of the orphans waiting for their flight in Pakistan. Picture: Supplied

The 17 refugees will now spend two weeks in hotel quarantine before they travel to Sydney to begin a new life, after being forced to flee their orphanage Hope House when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last month.

The Daily Telegraph revealed the secret rescue mission to evacuate the group from the Afghan capital Kabul overland to Islamabad in Pakistan, where they then boarded a charter flight to Australia.

The 17 adults and children were granted humanitarian visas to live in Australia, and their safe arrival has boosted the hopes of Mahboba’s staff who are waiting for further visa applications to be approved for dozens more orphans still stranded in Kabul.

Nawid Cina and his mum Mahboba Rawi, who run the charity Mahboba's Promise which has helped 12 orphans and their carers escape Afghanistan. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Speaking after the group arrived in Australia, Mahboba’s Promise acting general manager Nawid Cina told The Saturday Telegraph his team was “so grateful they have arrived safely” and praised federal government ministers for their assistance.

“We want to reiterate our thanks to the government and all involved, especially minister Alex Hawke, minister Marise Payne, minister Jason Wood and minister Karen Andrews for this first step,” he said.

The group gets ready to board the plane in Pakistan, bound for Australia.

“The support has been incredible and we look forward to working with their departments, who have been working tirelessly on Afghanistan as a whole, to save our remaining orphans, women and staff, who remain at risk, in Afghanistan.”

The charity, founded by Sydney woman Mahboba Rawi, who herself fled from Afghanistan more than 25 years ago, has longstanding ties with Australia, making any staff, families and orphans connected to their operation at risk of Taliban reprisals.

Legal and human rights advocates in Australia have volunteered their time to complete the necessary paperwork for the remaining orphans to gain humanitarian visas, however they are yet to be approved, despite being in the same position as the first 10 granted protection.

Australia has committed to settle at least 3000 Afghans on humanitarian visas this financial year.

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