Taliban members were seen near Hamid Karzai International Airport. Thousands of Afghans were eager to flee the Afghan capital Kabul.
Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
- EU ministers will hold a crisis meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
- This is because countries are trying to evacuate their citizens from Kabul Airport.
- This is because the Taliban have seized control of the country.
The European Union said on Monday that its foreign ministers will convene a crisis meeting on Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan’s degeneration into the Taliban, as countries race to evacuate citizens and local staff from the chaotic Kabul airport.
Witnesses said that one day after the Taliban rebels occupied the Afghan capital and declared the end of the war against foreign and local forces, people tried to flee the airport and five people were killed at the airport.
At the same time, the NATO envoy will hold emergency talks on the situation in Afghanistan on Tuesday.
United Nations Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter on Sunday that NATO is “helping the Kabul airport remain open to facilitate and coordinate evacuation,” but when the crowd tried to board the aircraft that was about to take off, the scene was in chaos.
After US President Joe Biden decided to withdraw his troops, NATO withdrew its 9500-man mission and the Taliban seized power.
Josep Borrell, head of EU foreign policy, said: “Based on the latest developments in Afghanistan, and after close contact with partners in the past few days and hours, I decided to hold a special event tomorrow afternoon. The European Union Foreign Minister VTC (Video Conference) conducts the first evaluation.” said on Twitter.
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“Afghanistan is at a crossroads. The safety and well-being of its citizens and international security are at play.”
The EU is also working with member states to find quick solutions to move local Afghan workers and their families to a safe place.
A spokesperson for the European Commission told Reuters: “This matter is very urgent. We attach great importance to it and continue to work hard (…) to implement a quick solution for them and ensure their safety.”
The Commission did not provide figures on the number of local Afghan staff employed for security reasons.
As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Afghans gathered at the Kabul airport to flee the country.
EU foreign ministers may discuss the security situation in Afghanistan and its impact on immigration to Europe, a traditional destination for refugees, at a meeting on Tuesday.
Many EU member states worry that developments in Afghanistan may trigger a recurrence of the 2015/16 immigration crisis in Europe, when the chaotic arrival of more than 1 million people from the Middle East led to strained security and welfare systems and fueled support for far-right groups.
Austria stated that despite Kabul’s occupation by the Taliban, it will continue to expel rejected Afghan asylum seekers, and suggested the establishment of “deportation centers” in neighboring countries.
“Deportation centers in the surrounding areas of Afghanistan will be a possibility. This requires the strength and support of the European Commission,” Austrian Interior Minister Carnehammer said.
He added that he will raise the issue at a crisis meeting with his EU counterparts on Wednesday, which was called to discuss the wave of immigration from Belarus to Lithuania, a member of the European Union.
