Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is not taking anything for granted with the situation in Afghanistan

The first flight of people evacuted from Afghanistan is expected to land in Australia as the PM confirms the flight was to leave Dubai.

The first flight of people evacuted from Afghanistan is expected to land in Australia in the early hours of Friday morning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed a flight from a military base in Dubai to Perth was scheduled to leave on Thursday “and it’ll find its way to Australia”.

The passengers will quarantine in Perth.

“We are moving urgently, safely, because we’re taking nothing for granted,” Mr Morrison said.

Three additional Australian military aircraft are in Dubai preparing to fly for evacuation missions also.

It came as Australian citizens, permanent residents and visa holders in Afghanistan are being urged to make their way to Hamid Karzai International Airport for an evacuation flight, but there are reports some are struggling to get in.

In its latest advice, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said people should travel to the Kabul airport if it was safe to do so.

“Wait for a planned evacuation flight,” DFAT warns.

“Take all extra precautions for your safety. Large and potentially volatile crowds may gather.

“Review your personal security plans and be aware of your surroundings. Make sure you have registered with DFAT.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said the situation in Afghanistan remained “very fluid and complex and challenging”.

“We absolutely know there are continuing, significant issues ongoing with access to Hamid Karzai International Airport and we have seen the reports of those,” she said on Thursday.

Australian citizens, permanent residents & Australian visa-holders should now travel to #Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport, if you are able to do so safely, to wait for a planned evacuation flight. Read more: https://t.co/ZyYShzbZ6upic.twitter.com/ElVPKgKhzq

— Smartraveller (@Smartraveller) August 19, 2021

Senator Payne said ensuring the security of the airport was Australia’s priority.

“We’re also working with other countries now to share lists of potential passengers and to co-ordinate our information and rescue efforts as we are able to,” she said.

“We’re working with our counterparts to ensure that we have a staging area, a designated space, at Hamid Karzai International Airport and also transporting supplies to support that.

“We are continuing to contact those Australians and visa holders, and to support them where we are able to, to get through those checkpoints and into the airport.”

Mr Morrison said he was not taking anything for granted with the evacuations from Afghanistan.

Mr Morrison said the United States and United Kingdom were providing security around the airfield to enable evacuation operations to continue.

“We expect to be able to continue them now throughout the course of this week and into next week, but we are moving urgently, safely because we are taking nothing for granted,” Mr Morrison said.

“The weather is closing in and that’s going to present some challenges over the next few days, but equally the situation can always turn, and so we’re moving as quickly as we possibly can.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is not taking anything for granted. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Another 76 Australian citizens and Afghan nationals evacuated

Last night, 40 Australian Defence Force personnel were deployed into Kabul in addition to those already there.

“A provisions drop was also included — that was through the UK air asset to provide relief to those on the ground, including those we are providing assistance to you,” the Prime Minister said.

“On the same flight back out of Kabul that night, 76 people were evacuated, including Australian citizens and Afghan visa holders.”

A flight is also scheduled to leave the base to go to Perth.

“It has not left yet, but we anticipate that it should leave in the course of the next few hours and it will find its way to Australia,” Mr Morrison said.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said the state was providing quarantine accommodation over the existing international flight cap.

He said it was expected evacuees would include Australian customs and immigration personnel, consular and foreign service officers, as well as Afghan interpreters and contractors who assisted the troops.

A contingent of air force and army personnel board a waiting KC-30A multi-role tanker transport aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley bound for the Middle East to support evacuation efforts in Afghanistan. Picture: ADF CPL Brett Sherriff

“The safe return of people who have been undertaking service for our country is paramount given the current circumstances in Afghanistan,” Mr McGowan said.

“WA’s experience of safely managing the risk of Covid-19 speaks for itself, and when faced with the current situation on the east coast, it makes sense that we offer our assistance by providing quarantine facilities.”

Mr Morrison said there were also people receiving medical treatment in Dubai.

“You can also imagine there’s quite a bit of trauma and they’re in a highly anxious state,” he said.

Senator Payne said she was concerned by reports that anti-Taliban protests in some cities had been met with force.

“(That includes) deaths among peaceful demonstrators in Jalalabad, and Taliban troops reported to have used gunfire and violence to attempt to control crowds around the airport,” she said.