Afghanistan: ‘Impossible’ to evacuate all allied Afghans by August 31, says EU chief Josep Borrell
- The Americans ‘want to evacuate 60,000 people between now and the end of this month. It’s mathematically impossible,’ Borrell said
- Borrell said a ‘very insufficient’ number of just 150 of the 400 Afghans employed by the EU have been evacuated so far
“It’s mathematically impossible” for the US and its allies to evacuate tens of thousands of their Afghan personnel and families by August 31, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned on Saturday.
Borrell, speaking to Agence France-Presse from Spain in a telephone interview, added that “we have complained” to the Americans that their security at Kabul airport was too strict and hampering attempts by Afghans who worked for the Europeans to enter.
The US military is currently in control of Kabul’s airport and running its air traffic control operations.
“As far as I know, for the moment the Americans haven’t said they will stay beyond August 31, but they might change their thinking,” Borrell said.
“They want to evacuate 60,000 people between now and the end of this month. It’s mathematically impossible,” he said.