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The department made this known on Thursday in a written response to a petition submitted by defense counsel Michael Ruperti. Defense states that ‘in light of yesterday’s debate, the persons mentioned will be put on the pax list’.
The department refers to Wednesday’s parliamentary debate, in which the cabinet already made it clear that it will be more generous in bringing former Afghan employees to the Netherlands. Until last weekend, evacuation was reserved for interpreters because the government felt that only they were at risk of being killed by the Taliban because of their visible work.
A Defense spokesperson confirms that the men can be added to the list when the department has seen their contracts from then. The security guards still have those documents; De Telegraaf had access to it last weekend.
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Afghan guard (right).
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First hurdle taken
The lawyer is pleased with the quick positive response to the request. At the same time, Ruperti is deeply concerned about his clients. Like other Afghans and Afghan Dutch people who have been trapped after the fall of Kabul, they have to squeeze through the chaos at the airport. US troops control this and regulate access.
De Telegraaf hears from several attendees that the military will not let them through. Not even when they show a Dutch passport. Thousands of people are said to be crowding at the entrances hoping to get on an evacuation flight.
,,We’ve cleared the first hurdle, now it’s time for step two. That’s a tough one; it’s really hope it’s not too late for clients,” said Ruperti.
What will the Taliban’s next steps be now that they have power in Afghanistan? And how did it get this far? That and more in the defense and security podcast Delta Tango:
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