The group consists of a number of Dutch residents, Afghans who have performed high-profile work for the Netherlands as an interpreter or in another position in an international military or police mission, Afghan NGO employees who fall under the special provision as described in the letter to Parliament of 11 October and members of their nuclear families.
The Pakistani authorities have made a one-off exception for this specific group, many without a valid passport and visa for Pakistan, and have given permission to travel to the Netherlands via that country.
The group spent the past week in Islamabad, where IOM provided shelter in hostels and basic necessities. The Dutch embassy staff offered them mental support after the long, dangerous journey that some of them have made.
The Netherlands continues to make every effort to bring other Dutch and Afghans who qualify for this to safety. All possibilities for this, also in cooperation with other countries, are being looked at and used.