The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, yesterday announced the beginning of the repatriation of the Spanish Embassy staff in Afghanistan, the Spaniards remaining in the country and the Afghans and their families who worked with the Spanish troops.
In a communiqué issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Albares expressed his “great concern” about the advance of the Taliban in their march towards Kabul and assured: “Spain is prepared for any eventuality, including the evacuation of the Embassy if necessary, and will not leave anyone behind”. The intention, according to diplomatic sources, is to proceed with the evacuation before the end of the month.
The embassy staff currently consists of Ambassador Gabriel Ferrán, who has already been dismissed, but who was asked to remain in post until the arrival of his successor, Ricardo Losa, and the second diplomatic representative, as well as eight local staff and 17 police officers, including several members of the GEO.
The minister says he is concerned about the serious consequences of the Taliban’s advance for the Afghan population and affirms that Spain will not recognise a government imposed by force. “We condemn the growing violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, particularly in areas and cities controlled by the Taliban,” he said.
It also indicates that “Spain is coordinating with its partners and allies in the framework of the European Union and NATO a response that ensures the protection of our interests in Afghanistan for the benefit of the Afghan people”, and adds: “We continue to call for a resumption of negotiations and a complete and permanent ceasefire”.
The Foreign Affairs communiqué reports that the number of Spaniards in Afghanistan is very small, only six, who are in Kabul, with the exception of one international official protected by his organisation. According to the minister, “the Spanish Embassy in Kabul is in permanent contact with all of them”.
Albares adds that any Spaniard still in the country has the possibility of joining the evacuation operation that may be organised by the government. “Their safety is our first concern,” he says.
Yesterday afternoon, a meeting of the Atlantic Council took place, in which the evolution of events was examined and information was exchanged regarding the maintenance of diplomatic presence in Kabul.
Countries such as the US, for example, have already announced that they will soon begin to reduce their civilian personnel in Afghanistan in view of the situation and, as of 31 August, their embassy in Kabul will be limited to the essential minimum. To this end, Washington plans to temporarily deploy protection forces (up to 3,000 personnel) to facilitate the safe and coordinated departure of these personnel.
For its part, the UK has also announced that it will soon begin to withdraw some of its embassy staff in Kabul, which will be reduced to the ambassador and a core team.
Finally, the minister referred to the Afghans and their families who worked with Spanish troops deployed in Afghanistan, many of them as interpreters, and said that his ministry is aware of the need to protect them, in coordination with the rest of the European Union and NATO member states.
Albares reiterates that his department, together with the Ministries of Defence, Interior and Inclusion and Social Security and Migration, is working to coordinate the transfer of Afghan citizens who have collaborated with Spain’s military missions and cooperation projects in Afghanistan. “No one is going to be left behind,” he concludes.
Meanwhile, according to Europa Press, the Ministry of the Interior is analysing “case by case” the more than 200 pending asylum applications processed by Afghan citizens who have been in Spain since 2008 and who wish to remain in our country, although it is not considering any exceptional mechanism to suspend expulsions in response to the crisis in the Central Asian country due to the Taliban advance, as France and Germany have announced.
The Interior Ministry, which, together with the Foreign Ministry and Defence, is also participating in the plan to provide a solution for the Afghan translators who have assisted Spanish troops in Afghanistan in recent years, recalled that asylum applications from Afghan nationals are few in comparison with other European countries, which is why the individualised study can be maintained.
According to data from the Asylum and Refuge Office, which reports to the Ministry of the Interior, 987 Afghans have applied for international protection in Spain since 2008. 766 applications have already been resolved, and of these, 533 (70%) have been granted some degree of international protection.
According to these data, there are another 221 applications to be processed, although at the moment there are no open files to proceed with an immediate return. In 2020 alone, 34 asylum applications were dealt with, compared to 10,000 in countries such as France.
The number of asylum requests by Afghan citizens allows for individualised monitoring, without the need to adopt “exceptional measures” such as suspending these procedures, given the risk of the Taliban’s advance.
