Geneva: Switzerland said Friday it would repatriate three staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from Afghanistan and offered a humanitarian visa to Afghan and family’s family development agencies when the Taliban swept the country.
Switzerland does not have an embassy in Afghanistan, with diplomatic relations covered by a mission in the neighboring city of Pakistan.
However, the Arm of International Development of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC), was present in Kabul.
Swiss ministers told a press conference that Bern would repatriate three employees of SDC Switzerland, the other three were already abroad because of the deteriorating security situation.
About 40 local workers with SDC, and their families, offered a humanitarian visa to come to Switzerland, took the number to around 200 people in total.
“We are very worried about the development of the situation in Afghanistan,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Swiss Livia Leu.
He called for “urgent dialogue about political solutions” and urged all parties to “respect international humanitarian law and human rights law”.
Meanwhile the State Secretariat for migration suspends back to Afghanistan until further notice.