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Prime ministers

Boris Johnson to Ask Joe Biden for Delay in Afghanistan Withdrawal

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Boris Johnson is set to personally request a delay in the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, as UK ministers press the US for an extension to ease pressure on Kabul airport. The Prime Minister will raise the issue at an emergency G7 meeting, after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace's attempts to ask the US for a delay fell on deaf ears. The UK is preparing for thousands of Afghans to flee the Taliban through land borders into countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and former Soviet states around Afghanistan. Johnson will meet with senior Cabinet ministers to discuss setting up "processing hubs" in neighboring countries to facilitate the evacuation of Afghans to the UK.

Key Takeaways:

  • Boris Johnson will request a delay in the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan at an emergency G7 meeting.
  • UK ministers have been pressing the US for an extension to ease pressure on Kabul airport.
  • The UK is preparing for thousands of Afghans to flee the Taliban through land borders into countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and former Soviet states around Afghanistan.
  • The UK plans to establish "processing hubs" in neighboring countries to facilitate the evacuation of Afghans to the UK.
  • The hubs will target 5,000 Afghans and their families in the first year, rising to 20,000 over the following years.
  • The plan is modeled after the Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme, which repatriated 20,000 Syrian refugees to the UK since 2015.
  • The scheme will require Afghans to prove they need urgent medical treatment, are survivors of violence and torture, or are women and children at risk.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed concerns about allowing extremists to travel into Russia via countries that won't require visa checks.
  • Turkey has warned that it cannot handle an "additional burden" of Afghan migrants, citing that it already has five million refugees.
  • The UK and France are to push for a United Nations security council resolution requiring the Taliban to give safe passage to people fleeing the new regime.

Statistics:

  • 5,725 individuals have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the operation began.
  • Over 1,720 people were airlifted from Kabul by the Royal Air Force in eight different flights over the weekend.
  • The UK plans to evacuate 5,000 Afghans and their families in the first year through processing hubs, rising to 20,000 over the following years.
  • Turkey already hosts five million refugees.

Sources:

  • The Telegraph
  • Number 10 (British government)
  • The Times ( referencing Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State)
  • Reuters (quoting Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish President)
  • BBC News (reporting on the UN Security Council resolution)
  • The Guardian (quoting James Heappey, UK Defence Minister)

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