Almost half of Afghans evacuated by Spain in reception centers

Madrid, Aug 25 (EFE).- Almost half of the roughly 1,000 evacuated Afghans with right to asylum in Spain have already been attended to in reception centers across the country, the social security and migration ministry reported Wednesday.

So far, some 1,254 people have been welcomed at the transit facilities of the air base of Torrejón de Ardoz near Madrid, of which 562 are women, 692 men and 519 minors.

Some 975 of them previously worked with Spanish forces in Afghanistan.

Others hosted in Spanish bases following their evacuation in the wake of the Taliban takeover worked with other Nato allies, including the US.

All of them were evacuated in Spanish military planes.

According to the ministry, the average length of stay at the Torrejón facilities is 32 hours before the evacuees are transferred to reception centers across the country.

Meanwhile, nine players of the Afghan national wheelchair basketball team have reached the Kabul airport where they hope to leave the country on a humanitarian flight from the Spanish government or another European Union country, according to Club Bidaideak Bilbao BSR, a basketball team for wheelchair users in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao.

The club already offered the captain of the Afghan women’s wheelchair basketball, Nilofar Bayatl, a chance to play for the team.

Bayatl arrived in Madrid on Friday with her husband and will live in Bilbao.EFE

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