Afghanistan: PM to urge G7 leaders to step up support for refugees

The prime minister is to urge world leaders to step up support for refugees fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan when he chairs a virtual G7 meeting later.

Boris Johnson will call for an increase in aid, and promise "to use every humanitarian and diplomatic lever" to protect human rights in the country.

The UK, France and Germany have all raised the possibility of US forces staying beyond the end of August to continue the airlift, and reports suggest Mr Biden will decide within the next 24 hours whether to push back the deadline.

However, a Pentagon spokesman said the US's focus remained "getting this done by the end of the month".

More than 7,000 people have now been flown out of Kabul on RAF flights since 13 August - but UK ministers have been clear that British forces in Kabul cannot stay once the Americans have left.

The UK and US say they will work together to allow eligible people to leave when the current phase of the operation ends.

Following a phone call on Monday, No 10 said the prime minister and the US president had committed to "driving international action" to stabilise the situation, support the Afghan people and "work towards an inclusive and representative Afghan government".

The Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan has shocked its people and the world. It happened after foreign forces announced their withdrawal following a deal between the US and the Taliban, two decades after American-led forces removed the militants from power in 2001.

Leaders of the G7 countries - the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan - will now meet virtually to discuss the situation.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Johnson said the first priority should be "to complete the evacuation of our citizens and those Afghans who have assisted our efforts over the last 20 years".

He added that, "as we look ahead to the next phase, it's vital we come together as an international community and agree a joint approach for the longer term".

"Together with our partners and allies, we will continue to use every humanitarian and diplomatic lever to safeguard human rights and protect the gains made over the last two decades," he said.

"The Taliban will be judged by their deeds and not their words."

The UN's human rights council will also hold its own emergency session on Afghanistan today.

More than 1,000 UK troops are on the ground in Kabul helping to secure the city's airport, and to process British nationals and Afghans eligible for relocation due to their association with the UK government, or who are at risk from the Taliban.

The Ministry of Defence said that 7,109 people had been evacuated by the UK so far - as essential food and other supplies, including 30,000 litres of water a day, packs of baby wipes and pre-made baby milk, were flown in.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said 2,866 former interpreters, and other eligible Afghans, as well as 226 eligible embassy guards and contractors were among those evacuated from Afghanistan since 16 August.

There have been chaotic scenes at Kabul airport as people desperate to flee Afghanistan crushed around access points, with a member of the Afghan security forces killed in an isolated gunfight with unidentified attackers on Monday morning.

UK government sources confirmed that a person on the country's no-fly watchlist was flown to Birmingham as part of the evacuation of Kabul - but later deemed not to be a person of interest.

Meanwhile, the RAF has said the operation to bring Afghan refugees to the UK is gathering pace. A combination of military and private charter passenger jets are transporting people to airports around the UK.

More than 200 passengers arrived at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last night - before being screened by Border Force officials.