SA takes further Afghan evacuees

ALMOST a hundred Afghan men, women and children will spend the next 14 days in hotel quarantine after the third evacuation flight touched down in Adelaide.

The emergency flight landed at Adelaide’s airport about 4am on Wednesday, with four buses taking people to the Hotel Grand Chancellor to quarantine.

It’s understood the 89 Afghan nationals were granted humanitarian visas.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said his government had reached out to the Islamic Society and the federal government when it heard about the “deteriorating situation” in Afghanistan.

“It’s a very distressing for all involved and we wanted to play our part and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Afghan community and support those people who are desperately trying to get out of there,” he said.

“We’re now working with the federal government on the longer-term plans to settle these people.”

Mr Marshall thanked SA Health for facilitating culturally appropriate settings, food, clothing and other essentials they need to “feel welcome” in the state.

He said the state volunteered to take in the foreign nationals in addition to its cap of returning Australians.

Australia has committed to resettle 3000 Afghan nationals within its existing humanitarian intake, well below the commitment from the UK and Canada, who have each offered 20,000 places.

But Scott Morrison has repeatedly insisted Australia’s intake was a floor, not a ceiling.

“If the overall program has to be expanded, it will be,” the Prime Minister said last week.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews on Wednesday confirmed another 750 people were rescued from Kabul overnight.

Four RAAF flights flew out of Kabul airport, bringing the total number of evacuees rescued by Australia to more than 2450.

“This is in excess of what we thought we’d be able to achieve in such a short space of time,” Ms Andrews said.