A World Mobilized: The Global Effort To Evacuate Afghan Refugees

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan sparked a mass exodus of people, with over 82,000 people evacuated from the country as of August 2021. The US airlifted around 70,000 people, including 4,000 American citizens and family members, as well as Afghans who had worked with them and were at risk of retribution from the Taliban. The UK took about 1,200 people out of the country, Germany evacuated 1,700, and other countries, including France, Italy, Australia, Canada, and Turkey, also contributed to the evacuation effort.

The US has evacuated 70,000+ people, including 4,000+ Americans

The US has played a significant role in evacuating people from Afghanistan, with over 70,000 evacuees, including more than 4,000 American citizens and their family members. This massive operation, involving around 6,000 American troops, is one of the largest airlifts in US history. The evacuees also include Afghans who have worked with the US or its allies and are at particular risk from the Taliban, such as journalists, translators, human rights activists, and government workers.

The US evacuation efforts have focused on two main groups: American citizens and those with legal US residency, and Afghans in danger. American citizens and those with legal residency, including those with approved Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), can proceed to the US after a stopover in a Gulf country like Qatar. Afghans who have applied for but not yet received the SIV, or who are seeking refugee status, must first go to transit hubs in Europe or Asia for security vetting.

The US military evacuation flights from Kabul have carried a mix of passengers. This includes US citizens, lawful permanent residents, Afghan SIV applicants, and other vulnerable Afghans. The SIV program offers visas to Afghans who have worked with US forces, such as interpreters and translators, and who fear reprisals from the Taliban. It also covers their family members.

The evacuation of Afghans who have supported US efforts is particularly urgent, with refugee and resettlement experts estimating that at least 300,000 Afghans are in imminent danger of Taliban retaliation for their association with American and stabilization efforts. The US has not disclosed how many Afghans have arrived since the evacuation began, but it is estimated that around 5,000 SIV applicants have been evacuated, with 65,000 applicants and their families remaining in Afghanistan.

The US has a history of taking in refugees from overseas conflicts, such as the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the US ultimately admitted over 100,000 refugees from Southeast Asia. The current evacuation efforts in Afghanistan reflect a similar commitment to protecting those who have worked with the US and are now at risk.

The UK has evacuated about 1,200 people

The UK has played a significant role in the evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, with the British government committing to help evacuate British citizens and local allies. The UK's evacuation efforts, known as Operation Pitting, involved over 1,000 military personnel, including large elements from the 16 Air Assault Brigade. The operation aimed to evacuate British and eligible Afghan nationals from Kabul following the Taliban's rapid military offensive and takeover of the country.

By Wednesday morning, the UK had evacuated about 1,200 people from Afghanistan. This number included British citizens, Afghan evacuees, embassy staff, and those eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) programme. Among those fleeing were approximately 2,200 children, the youngest of whom was just one day old.

The UK's evacuation efforts faced significant challenges due to the chaotic situation on the ground. Thousands of fleeing Afghan civilians rushed to Kabul Airport, with hundreds crowding the apron in an attempt to catch flights out of the city. The British government faced criticism for its handling of the evacuations, particularly regarding the processing of visas for eligible Afghans. Despite these challenges, the UK was able to evacuate a significant number of people, with later reports indicating that the UK evacuated 15,000 people from Kabul, including 5,000 British nationals and more than 8,000 Afghans who worked for the UK and their families.

The UK's evacuation efforts concluded on August 28, with the final RAF evacuation flights taking place on that day. The operation marked the end of the UK's 20-year military involvement in Afghanistan. The British government also announced a new resettlement programme, aiming to resettle 20,000 Afghan refugees over five years.

Germany evacuated 1,700 people

Germany has been one of the most prominent countries in the evacuation of Afghan refugees. The country has been involved in both the initial airlift out of Afghanistan and the subsequent resettlement of refugees.

In the immediate aftermath of the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Germany evacuated around 1,700 people, including Germans, Afghans, and nationals of international partners. These were people who had worked with German forces or German aid agencies and were at risk of reprisals from the Taliban.

Subsequently, Germany has played a significant role in the broader evacuation and resettlement efforts. Ramstein Air Base, a U.S. air base in Germany, served as a transit hub for tens of thousands of Afghans evacuated from Kabul. More than 25,000 Afghans passed through Ramstein on their way to the United States.

In addition to facilitating evacuations, Germany has also pledged to take in a substantial number of Afghan refugees. The country promised to admit 25,000 Afghans deemed most at risk following the Taliban takeover. This is part of a broader effort by Western countries to provide refuge for those who worked with NATO forces and advocated for human and women's rights in Afghanistan.

However, Germany's efforts have not been without challenges. There have been concerns about the slow pace of evacuations and resettlements, with critics arguing that the process has been too slow and plagued by setbacks. Additionally, Germany has faced criticism for displacing Afghan refugees to make way for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country. The German government has had to balance the needs of both groups of refugees, often resulting in difficult decisions and complex logistics.

Turkey has flown 550 people out of Afghanistan

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said his country had flown 550 people out of Afghanistan. This was part of a tumultuous rescue effort that saw at least 12,000 people evacuated via Kabul airport. The majority, approximately 7,000, were flown out of Kabul on cargo aircraft by the US military.

Turkey has a long history of involvement in Afghanistan. It has participated in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) since its inception, deploying 290 non-combatant support personnel in 2001. It has also assumed command of ISAF II and ISAF VII, and trained over 12,000 Afghan soldiers and police.

Turkey has also been involved in reconstruction projects in the fields of education, health, and agriculture in the province of Vardak. It supported the Bonn Agreement and the Afghan Constitution Commission, and President Hamid Karzai made an official visit to Turkey in April 2002.

Turkey has also launched a trilateral summit process between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and itself. This process has seen the three countries pledge to increase coordination between their political, military, and intelligence tiers in the fight against militancy and terrorism.

However, Turkey's involvement in Afghanistan has not always been positive. In 2021, Turkish security forces were accused of using live ammunition and physical force to keep Afghans from entering the country. Those who did succeed often faced arbitrary detention and a plane trip back to Afghanistan. Turkey has deported nearly 43,000 Afghans, despite calls by the international community to protect Afghans fleeing Taliban rule.

Turkey is home to about 3.8 million refugees, most of them from war-torn Syria. More than 300,000 Afghans—including documented and undocumented refugees, as well as migrants and asylum seekers—are in Turkey.

France and Italy have evacuated about 500 people each

France and Italy have played a significant role in evacuating people from Afghanistan, with each country evacuating about 500 individuals. France's evacuation efforts, known as "Operation Apagan," were led by the French military and focused on airlift operations through Abu Dhabi. This operation successfully transported nearly 3,000 people to safety, including 2,600 Afghan citizens. France also evacuated hundreds of Afghan citizens who had previously worked with the country or were associated with human rights groups, as they faced threats from the Taliban.

Italy's evacuation efforts were led by the Carabinieri, a hybrid police-and-military force, specifically the 2nd Mobile Brigade, an elite unit experienced in dangerous assignments. Italy rescued its citizens and nearly 5,000 Afghans, the highest number among EU member states. The Italian evacuation efforts included going beyond the Kabul airport to locate and retrieve individuals, using innovative methods such as specific dress codes and WhatsApp communication.

Both countries' contributions were part of a broader international effort to evacuate individuals from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.

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