BBC News 29 August 2021 - by George Bowden
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| The British ambassador has been helping the evacuation effort |
The British ambassador to Afghanistan has arrived in the UK, with the last British soldiers to leave Kabul expected to touch down within hours.
The final flight left on Saturday, bringing to an end the UK's 20-year military involvement in Afghanistan.
More than 15,000 people have been evacuated by the UK since 14 August.
He said it had been a "tremendous international effort" but it wasn't "a moment of celebration for us at all", adding that there was a "sense of sadness" at those left behind.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was a chance to reflect on the achievements of recent weeks and of the last two decades, such as girls' education and weakening al-Qaeda.
No 10 said the number of people evacuated included around 2,200 children, with the youngest just one day old.
Around 5,000 British nationals and their families were airlifted, alongside more than 8,000 Afghan former UK staff and their families and those considered at risk from the Taliban.
In a letter to the armed forces community, Mr Johnson acknowledged the fall of Kabul to the Taliban would have been hard for them to watch.
He added it would be "an especially difficult time for the friends and loved ones of the 457 service personnel who laid down their lives" during the war.
The prime minister said the UK's involvement in Afghanistan "kept al-Qaeda from our door for two decades and we are all safer as a result".
"Whether you are still serving or a veteran, a loved-one, a relation or a friend, you all played your part and you should feel immense pride," he said.
Downing Street said the evacuation included the Royal Air Force's single biggest capacity flight ever, with 436 people carried on a C-17 aircraft.
The mass airlift known as Operation Pitting has been under way since the Taliban took control of the capital, with a deadline of 31 August in place for foreign troops to leave the country.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said he thought between 800 and 1,100 eligible Afghans would be left behind, along with around 100 to 150 Britons - although he said some of those were staying willingly.
In a tweet Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to "our brave armed forces and diplomatic staff", saying the country owed them a "great debt of gratitude".
But he said the government must urgently set out a plan for those left behind.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK was ready to consider sanctions against the militants - but this would "depend on the choices the Taliban make on key issues" - including on enabling safe passage out of the country.
The US has been running the airport in Afghanistan's capital, where a suicide bomb attack on Thursday may have killed as many as 170 people - including two UK citizens and the child of a British national.
More than 1,000 UK troops were in Kabul helping to process departures at the airport at the height of the operation.
The UK's embassy in Kabul has suspended its operations and will relocate to Qatar. "We continue to provide only limited consular assistance remotely," it said.
What happens to Afghan refugees coming to the UK?
- Arrivals on official flights enter a 10-day Covid quarantine in a hotel
- Government officials and local authorities are trying to find them permanent homes
- A shortage of suitable accommodation means many will be placed in hotels
- Some will get refugee status and can live in the UK permanently
- Others will get a five-year visa to live and work in the UK - and can then apply for permanent residence
- Afghans arriving independently will enter the normal system for asylum claims - which has a backlog of 70,000 people
- These people cannot settle, or work, while their claims are considered
A new effort to resettle former Afghan staff and their families in the UK has been announced by the government.
New Minister for Afghan Resettlement Victoria Atkins will oversee the plans, called Operation Warm Welcome.
It will be modelled on the Syrian resettlement programme that saw 20,000 refugees come to the UK between 2014 and 2020. A similar number from Afghanistan are expected over the coming years.
Support will include help with integration and dealing with trauma, free English language courses, and assistance with health, education, accommodation and employment.
It follows the announcement of a £5m fund for local councils to provide housing support and rapid mental health treatment for those arriving.
