A group of 35 Afghans who are on the Dutch evacuation list managed to cross the Pakistani border on their own on Friday. There they were received by Dutch embassy staff, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Saturday after reporting by the NOS. The Afghans have been transferred by bus to the Pakistani capital Islamabad, where they will stay pending a flight to the Netherlands.
The border crossing of the 35 Afghans had been coordinated by the ministry with the Pakistani authorities in advance, the ministry spokesperson said. Some of the Afghans did not have the correct documents to cross the border. Pakistan has made a one-time exception for them.
Of the Afghans evacuated on Friday, 29 fall under the interpreter scheme, intended for interpreters who have worked for the Netherlands and their families. The other six belong to the group of Afghans to which the outgoing cabinet promised in October that it would make extra efforts. It is still unclear when the group will be transferred to the Netherlands.
Hundreds of Afghans have been waiting for several months to be evacuated from Afghanistan, where the Taliban took power in August last year. They fear that the new rulers want to punish them for work they have performed for the Netherlands in the past.