Scott Morrison confirms 26 Australians, Afghan nationals evacuated on RAAF flight out of Afghanistan
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has detailed Australia's evacuation operation in Afghanistan which took place overnight, with more rescue flights to follow in coming days.
Dominica FunnellDigital Reporter
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed Australia commenced its operation to retrieve Australian visa holders and Afghan nationals from Afghanistan last night, with 26 people evacuated on the first rescue flight.
The first flight landed in Afghanistan on Tuesday night and enabled the government to transfer in key personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Home Affairs and Defence to facilitate the evacuation mission.
"This was the first of what will be many flights subject to clearance and weather," Mr Morrison said, noting there were unfavourable weather forecasts ahead.
"The operation involves everything from establishing that contact with those that were in Afghanistan, particularly closer to Kabul to ensure they will be in a position to be at the airport in order to be evacuated on the flights as they come into Kabul.
"This is not a simple process. It is very difficult for any Australian to imagine the sense of chaos and uncertainty existing right across this country. The breakdown in formal communications, the ability to reach people."
Mr Morrison said Australia was carrying out the operation "directly ourselves" since groups such as the International Organisation for Migration are no longer able to assist.
Australia's transfers are made to the nation's base in the United Arab Emirates where capacity has been established with medical support available and where the evacuees' further transfer to Australia will be processed.
Arrangements have also been made with state and territory leaders "over and above existing caps" for those retrieved from Afghanistan to be quarantined "in the appropriate facilities".
The Prime Minister detailed the first evacuation flight, confirming the C-130 Hercules RAAF aircraft landed last night with the Australian officials on board.
"I have to stress how important that is, to get people on a flight, get people on the ground to process this. This will be done in as orderly a fashion as is possible in these circumstances, we need to be very clear who's getting on our planes, who's going to our base and who is going to come here and live in Australia.
"We have to be very, very clear about that and we are taking all the sensible precautions but moving urgently to address the very real need in these very stressing conditions."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed 26 people were on board an evacuation flight from Afghanistan which touched down in the United Arab Emirates this morning. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Mr Morrison revealed the RAAF aircraft touched down at the UAE base at 10:40am [Canberra time] on Wednesday with 26 people on board - including Australian citizens, Afghan nationals with visas and one foreign official who was working with an international agency.
He further said an additional C-130 aircraft and two C-17 Globemasters are scheduled to join the operation and bolster the flights out of Kabul in coming days, "and for as long as we can continue to operate those flights to get people out".
"We intend for those numbers to increase on future flights, but as is the experience of other countries who have been engaged in this process, these initial flights are challenged by having officials on the ground to go through that proper process, " he said.
The Prime Minister said the security situation at the airport and across Kabul more broadly was improved with the assistance of United States and United Kingdom troops on the ground.
"It still though remains an incredibly challenging environment in which to operate," he said, thanking the pilots directing the flights into dangerous territory "in the dark".
He also thanked the officials deployed to assist the operation on the ground.
"Our foreign affairs officials, our home affairs officials, our defence people … I've seen it so many times now, their professionalism, their dedication to service, their commitment to this country is extraordinary and they have moved swiftly and courageously and I want to thank them for what they're doing for their fellow Australians and our cause right now".
Resettlement in Australia
Mr Morrison flagged the conversation in recent days has also turned to the issue of resettlement, saying the government has been considering it "for some time".
"What I can confirm is this though, and I have a very clear message on this - we will only be resettling people through our official humanitarian program going through official channels," he stressed.
"We will not be offering a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship. We will not be allowing people to enter Australia illegally, even at this time.
"Our policy has not changed, we will be supporting Afghans who have legitimate claims through our official and legitimate processes. We will not be providing that pathway to those who would seek to come any other way.
"That is a very important message, the government's policy has not changed, will not change."
The Prime Minister said he believed about 3,000 visas would be made available to Afghans this year, which was more than double - and sometimes triple - the number of visas provided in the current year.
"I want to send a very clear message to people smugglers in the region that nothing's changed," he continued.
"I will not give you a product to sell and take advantage of people's misery. My government won't do it, we never have and we never will."