Afghanistan: Greens/EFA call for continuation of evacuations, humanitarian visas & aid

Last night, US troops left Afghanistan. Today, EU Interior Ministers will meet to discuss the situation in the country. Greens/EFA call on EU Interior Ministers to advocate for further evacuations, humanitarian visas and humanitarian aid. EU governments must live up to their responsibility and continue evacuations and not abandon people in need of protection. Across the EU, cities and towns are reiterating their readiness to host people in need of protection.

Tineke Strik MEP, Greens/EFA spokesperson for Afghanistan in the Foreign Affairs Committee, comments:
 
"The dramatic situation in Afghanistan is a disaster in the making. It would be shameful for the EU to leave behind the people it has promised to help. Interior Ministers must take responsibility and push for immediate evacuations and humanitarian visas to help people to flee persecution by the Taliban. And they need to quickly organise humanitarian aid for refugees in neighbouring countries and internally displaced people. But the EU also needs to take its share by stepping up resettlement of refugees to the EU. In order to avoid overcrowded camps or Afghan refugees being pushed back at our external borders, we need the activation of the Temporary Protection Mechanism (TPM). This way we ensure solidarity among the Member States and access to fair asylum processes and protection in Europe. The credibility of the EU as an international actor is at stake."