British troops and international allies could return to Kabul airport to help police a UN safe zone in the capital in order to allow safe passage for people trying to leave Afghanistan.
Defence sources in the UK indicated the idea was one of several options under consideration to ensure safe evacuation routes for the thousands of people still trapped in Afghanistan while eligible for resettlement in the west.
The safe zone plan is part of a Franco-British proposal, set out by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, which was being discussed by UN security council members as western forces retreated from Kabul over the past few days.
“There are some discussions to see how flights could be re-established,” Macron said in a TV interview on Sunday.
“What we have proposed, and what we plan to bring to the UN security council along with Britain and Germany, is a solution that we have used before in other operations, which would involve creating a zone allowing people to arrive at that airport.”
But British sources cautioned that the discussions were fluid – and it was unclear if the Taliban would accept a UN proposal that allows for a prolonged international presence in Kabul after US forces leave the country.
A more realistic alternative could be to allow the Taliban to be responsible for security in the safe passage area. However, the new rulers of Afghanistan have been sending mixed messages about whether they will continue to allow Afghans to leave for the west.
The five permanent members of the security council – the US, UK, France, China and Russia – were due to meet on Monday night in New York, to discuss the safe zone plan as part of wider conversations about agreeing a possible resolution this week.
Earlier discussions were held at a US-convened meeting for the G7 group of industrialised democracies – the UK, US, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and Italy – along with representatives from the EU, Turkey, Qatar and the Nato alliance – on Monday afternoon.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The foreign secretary emphasised the importance of working with like-minded partners on safe passage and exit arrangements for eligible Afghans remaining in the country.”
The security situation in Kabul remains dangerous after a double bomb attack, attributed to the terror group Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), killed more than 90 Afghans and 13 US Marines on Thursday. A continued presence of foreign forces, even under the UN banner, could incite further attacks.
Britain had deployed 1,000 paratroopers to Kabul airport to provide security to diplomatic staff and evacuees leaving the country in a two-week operation. The airlift evacuated more than 15,000 people, mostly Afghans – but thousands of others were left behind as the operation ended.
They include between 800 and 1,100 Afghan translators and their families as well as others who directly worked for the British government and military during the 20-year presence in Afghanistan.
There are also thousands more who worked indirectly on aid projects, or are deemed by the British government to be at serious risk from the Taliban because of human rights or other work.
Britain had to evacuate entirely by 31 August, a final evacuation deadline agreed between the US and the Taliban. More than 5,000 US forces had seized Kabul airport after the former Afghan government collapsed, to allow the US and other western governments to evacuate people as the Taliban took control.
The UK in tandem with France and the US also wants the security council members to agree that Afghanistan not be allowed to be used as a base for terrorist attacks, and to establish the importance of enabling humanitarian access and so that UN staff have a safe environment to continue their vital humanitarian work on the ground.
