Flight of evacuees from Kabul arrives at UK air base

Last Tuesday (August 17), the country announced plans to welcome up to 5,000 Afghans fleeing the Taliban during the first year of a new resettlement programme that will prioritize women, girls and religious and other minorities.

Britain had already planned to relocate 5,000 people as part of an Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, designed to help present and past employees of the UK government.

Western governments are unlikely to extend the evacuation window to allow their citizens and Afghans more time to fly out of Kabul airport, Britain's defense minister Ben Wallace said on Tuesday.