Canada has evacuated over 2,700 people out of Afghanistan, including some 1,500 in the past three days, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said on Wednesday.
"Canada has airlifted over 2,700 people out of Kabul," Mendicino said during a press briefing, noting the figure includes Canadian nationals, refugees, and other foreign nationals.
According to Mendicino, there were 436 people evacuated on August 22, 506 on August 23 and 535, the largest number of evacuees on any Canadian flight, yesterday.
Over 1,000 of those evacuated have already arrived in Canada, including 300, who have already completed the mandatory 14-day COVID-19 quarantine period for international arrivals, Mendicino added.
The Taliban (banned in Russia) militants entered the Afghan capital on August 15, ending a weeks-long offensive and resulting in the collapse of the US-backed government. The seizure of power has forced thousands of Afghans to seek refuge from the country for fear of reprisals from the militants. Thousands of Afghans continue to break into the Kabul airport in hopes of flying out of the country.
Ottawa has vowed to relocate some 20,000 Afghan nationals, who are most at risk of Taliban reprisals, to Canada. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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