Spanish corridor

Spain at the end of August became one of the European centers for the reception of Afghans who was forced to leave their homeland after the Taliban came to power. Every day, the military and civilian aircraft of the United States, France, Italy, Spain itself and other countries arrive here. Their passengers are mainly people who previously collaborated in Afghanistan with representatives of Western countries and NATO, as well as members of their families. That is, all those who are now threatening there.

The Spanish authorities themselves invited their Western partners to create a large camp on their territory for the temporary stay of the evacuated. It was equipped in just four days at the Military air base of Torrekhon de Ardos near Madrid, forces of military rescuers. Since the capacity of this camp is no more than a thousand people, the United States decided to accept Afghans also at their bases in Spain-at the naval in the village of Roth on the southwestern coast of the country and on aviation in the Moron-la-Fronter in the province of Seville. Here, before sending an ocean or other European countries for a permanent place of residence, about four thousand Afghans can be located.

The military command of the base in Torrekhon states that it has done everything possible for a worthy reception of Afghan refugees and that even the Americans, before starting work on the construction of their camps in the company and Moron, visited them to adopt useful experience. And before that, a delegation of the European Commission, led by its chairman Ursula von der Layen, came to Torrekhon and was also satisfied with what she saw.

The fact that under Madrid, good conditions are really created for people fleeing the Taliban were also convinced by the Radio Liberty correspondent, who personally visited the camp. Families with children are located there in separate rooms, single men in the halls of the sports complex, where the rows of bunk beds are installed. There are rooms for relaxation, showers. More than 200 people can eat in the dining room. Food is prepared by Spanish military cooks taking into account Islamic customs. There is a first -aid post in which military doctors and nurses are on duty around the clock. All premises are equipped with air conditioners.

Every third inhabitant of this camp is a minor, and special attention to children and adolescents. For them, for example, a game room is organized, where cartoons are shown on a huge screen. There are toys, books, felt -tip pens and paper for drawing. When the camp was examined by the head of the General Staff of the Spanish Armed Forces Admiral Theodor Lopez Calderon , one 6-year-old Afghan made him a gift for his drawings, which she already drew here. The admiral was noticeably moved. In addition, children have a small square for air games at the disposal. Older Afghan teenagers at the sports ground allocated for them play football with Spanish soldiers.

As the Minister of Defense of Spain Margarita Robblez and Admiral Lopez Calderon said at a joint press conference in Madrid, the Afghans arrive in the country mainly from the UAE, from Dubai, on the airliners rented by the Spaniards from the local private airline Air Europe. And to the United Arab Emirates, two A400M of the Spanish Air Force, two flights from Kabul daily, deliver them to them. A Spanish gynecologist is working at Dubai Airport, who immediately on the spot already provides assistance to pregnant Afghanams.

Afghan refugees, previously evacuated from Kabul, at the Spanish air base of Torrekhon de Ardos sit in the US military transport aircraft to fly further to Germany. August 26, 2021

At the Airport of the Afghan capital, 130 Spanish troops, including a special forces group, are now in evacuation. From time to time, they make real risky sorties outside the airport to help all those who wish the Afghans overcome the barriers and checkpoints of the Taliban - who are trying in every possible way to interfere with them, although they prefer not to enter into direct clashes yet.

“Unfortunately, we are not able to take out to Spain our former Afghan colleagues located in the provinces outside Kabul,” complained Admiral Lopez Calderon. He added that the Spaniards will remain in Afghanistan and "will continue to evacuate until the airport is under the protection of the US military."

According to the established rules, Afghan refugees should be in the camp in Torrekhon no more than 3 days, in the company and frosts-no more than 14. Immediately after the arrival, the Spanish military is dealing with their documents, and the medical staff makes tests on the Covid-19. Infected, depending on their condition, are sent to quarantine or hospitals.

The Center for Reception of Immigrants and Refugees in Madrid, where Afghans are sent from Torrekhon de Ardos

Afghans inform about the possibilities of getting an official refugee status and interviewing in which European country they would like to settle. Their priority needs are being clarified. As a rule, a little more than half of the arrivals declare a desire to stay in Spain. They are sent from Torrekhon to different Spanish cities, to the temporary detention centers of foreigners. There, being for 6–9 months on full state support, they will be able to study the Spanish language under the guidance of local teachers and join the Spanish lifestyle. Then the Afghans will be provided with apartments. They will also receive work permit, and if they can’t work quickly, they will be able to count on benefits. In total, the procedure for obtaining refugee status in Spain can take up to 2 years.

The fate of the 28-year-old Nilufar Bayat, captain of the Paralympic Women's team of Afghanistan in basketball and public activist is especially developing now. She flew to Spain with the help of acquaintances, Spanish human rights defenders and is already in the city of Bilbao, where he will now play for the Bidaideak Bilbao BSR Paralympic club. This woman has special scores with the Taliban. Many years ago, in the 90s, they fired at her house with rockets: his brother died, and the two-year-old Nilufar was left without a leg. Arriving at a new place of residence, she already made an appeal to the UN and the world community with a demand not to recognize the “criminal regime” of the Taliban.

Afghans, who do not want to stay in Spain, will go to the EU states, who expressed their consent to accept them. True, the choice is not very large yet. These are Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania and the Netherlands. To decide which country to choose and what to do next, refugees are helped by activists of the Spanish Red Cross, involved in the Torrekhon, as well as army psychologists. Many of them for the sake of Afghans interrupted their vacation.

As Rador's Freedom told Radio Red Cross Ioland Diaz , the Afghans fly to Spain in an extremely depressed state, and some don’t even understand which country they were in and ask to explain what awaits them here - they will be given to the Talibans: “They are afraid and do not want to call the names of their children for registration, they ask not to photograph them and not show them on television. -To study in Spain, and in general, how much some education is available in this country. ”

The Spanish Red Cross, according to Diaz, regularly distributes clothes, shoes and personal hygiene items to the Afghans. After all, many families flew at all without things - in a panic they did not have time to collect luggage or lost it in confusion at Kabul airport.

Employees of the Spanish Red Cross at the Torrekhon-de-Ardos air base. August 19, 2021

To communicate with the arrivals, the military use the services of Afghans long -living in the country, who once worked as translators at the Spanish military contingent in Afghanistan. One of them, who called himself Muatabar, told Radio Liberty that he was most worried about relatives and acquaintances remaining in Afghanistan. Especially bitter, according to him, may be the fate of women whose Taliban intends to take away all rights, including the opportunity to study, work, and even just one, unaccompanied by a man, go out into the street. And real mortal danger lies in wait for all those who collaborated with foreigners and did not have time to leave the country.

How do simple Spaniards relate to such an influx of Afghans? In general, tolerant, given that we are talking about the victims of the tragedy and people who, to one degree or another, worked for their own country. And this despite the fact that Spain has been experiencing severe migration pressure from Africa and Latin America in recent decades, which has long created considerable problems for it.

Spanish soldiers help Afghan refugees sit in a military transport aircraft. Kabula airport, 22 August, 2021

With a relatively careful statement about the one -time arrival of thousands of Afghans in Spain, only the right -conservative VOX party made. Its representative demanded from the government more thoroughly to check all those who arrive for their belonging to extremist organizations. The VOX member of the leadership recalled that in France and the UK, real jihadists who penetrated these countries under the guise of refugees have already been identified. In general, according to VOX, Afghan citizens "should accept the countries neighboring to it, close to Afghans in culture, mentality, ethnicity, language and religion," where it would be easier for them to integrate. Europe must provide all kinds of help to these states to organize such a process, the Spanish conservatives say.