Afghanistan: Planeload of Afghans headed to Australia

A further 76 Australian citizens and Afghans with refugee visas have been evacuated from Kabul, Scott Morrison has confirmed.

A further 76 Australian citizens and Afghans with refugee visas have been evacuated from Kabul on a British plane, Scott Morrison has confirmed.

The Prime Minister said 40 Australian Defence Force personnel were also deployed into Kabul to aid evacuation efforts in Afghanistan.

The group of Australians and Afghans were due to depart Dubai for Perth on Thursday afternoon AEST.

Mr Morrison thanked the Western Australian government for accepting the arrivals beyond the state’s quarantine cap.

He warned that the weather would present challenges to further rescue missions in coming days.

Mr Morrison said three additional planes had been relocated for rescue operations.

He also flagged that Australia could resttle more Afghans as part of the nation’s refugee program.

Australia has committed to reserving more than 20 per cent of places in its current humanitarian intake program for Afghans fleeing their home country under Taliban rule. An initial 3000 places out of the 13,750 annual places will be reserved for Afghan nationals.

“We see this as a floor, not a ceiling,” Mr Morrison said.

“If the overall program has to be expanded, it will be.”

Foreign Minister Marise Payne thanked the UK for their assistance in the evacuation overnight.

She said Australia and its international allies were continuing to work in a fraught and complex security environment.

“Ensuring the security of the airport is our priority and I particularly thank the United States for their effort in that regard,” she said.

Senator Payne said Australia was working with other countries to share lists of potential passengers and to help coordinate evacuation missions.

The passengers were airlifted from the stricken city overnight AEST, after initial security problems prevented them getting inside the terminal last night.

A senior government source told The Australian on Thursday that those evacuated overnight got out on allied aircraft. As of 12.40pm AEST, Australia had still only managed one RAAF flight.

“We are all sharing,” the source said. “If a friendly country has a plane and they have space on it, we will chuck our people on there, and vice versa.”

Another senior source in Australia said a larger C-17 aircraft was expected to fly into Kabul on Thursday morning, after the initial C-130 Hercules flight on Wednesday morning.

This reporter was part of multiple WhatsApp groups on Wednesday night, which included locally engaged employee visa holders who finally made it into Hamid Karzai International Airport.

An interpreter, Najibullah Ahmadzai, who was supporting Australian officials on the ground, told refugee visa holders at about 9.40pm to make their way to the airport.

Passengers from the ADF’s Kabul evacuation. Picture: ADF/AFP

“We have the officers of foreign affairs, immigration, Aussie soldiers,” he told the chat group. “They are doing a great job. They got us in. We are in a secure location now. They told me I am going out with them to recognise all my colleagues now.

“They request all of you to come to the north gate as soon as possible so we can go and get you in.

“Everyone coming to the gate should have visa, they should be visa holders, otherwise I have an officer beside me – they are not allowed to get in.”

Mr Ahmadzai posted on Facebook last night he was about to depart for Dubai.

Najeebullah Ghafoory posted on Facebook last night he was about to depart for Dubai. It is unclear whether he and other interpreters departed on an RAAF or allied flight.

He and others in the group worked as interpreters for Australian Defence Force officers at Camp Qargha until mentoring Afghan National Army officers as part of Operation Highroad and NATO’s Operation Resolute.

One of Mr Ahmadzai’s fellow interpreters who has already settled in Australia, Wat­anyar Khosti, was monitoring developments in the ground via chat groups.

He told The Australian that the group had made it to Dubai. “I don’t know the exact number but (it is) a lot of interpreters who got visas.”

Earlier, about 8.30pm on Wednesday night AEST, there was confusion at the airport, with Mr Ahmadzai warning fellow interpreters not to try getting in.

“Good afternoon everyone, the situation at the airport, especially at the north gate, is terrible. Unbelievable.

“The security forces here, the Afghan security forces, the Americans, are firing. It is very, very hard to get in.

“I have spoken to a couple of people. I think it is very hard to reach your point of contact. I can see an Australian soldier. I can see Americans.

“Hundreds of families. People with only documents. They have heard rumours that everyone is going to America. It has made it very tough even for the passport holders, visa holders … you can see firing now. They are doing firing, It is unbelievable.”

The first Australian Defence Force evacuation flight in Kabul. Picture: ADF/AFP

On another chat group that afternoon, Afghans with visas said they didn’t know whether to leave for the airport or stay in hiding.

“What is your advice for us?” one asked The Australian. “What we should do … stay at home or find a way to enter the airport?”
Another said: “There is about seven or eight persons with their families who have their visas on hand and waiting for flight.”

In a message believed to have been sent on Tuesday night before the C-130 Hercules flight which arrived in Dubai with 26 passengers, an Australian soldier put out an initial call out for Australian citizens to get to the airport for evacuation.

“Today our intention is to get Australian passport holders out,” the soldier said.

“Our intention is to have a plane come in and pick you up today if you can make it to HKIA to get out. No promises on that plane – the runway is open and closed and open and closed – so if any passport holders can do their best to get to HKIA through the north gate … that would be good and we will do what we can for you.”