Raab must fly to Afghan neighbours to secure border crossing

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to immediately fly to the countries neighbouring Afghanistan once he has finished appearing in front of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. He must go to help secure safe border crossing for British nationals and refugees.  The call comes as today, the Government announced sending 15 officials to Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The German Foreign Minister has flown out to meet with his counterparts in these countries already, to ensure German nationals can escape the Taliban. Layla Moran MP, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, said: "It is time for the Foreign Secretary to take the job seriously and sort out this mess. If he can travel for a holiday, then surely he can travel to save lives during an international crisis. “After months of failure and sitting on his hands, urgent action from him is needed.  “We need the Foreign Secretary to show he is up to the job.  So far he has been willfully ignorant and always two steps behind. "Raab must fly to the region as soon as possible and meet with his Foreign Minister counterparts to ensure British nationals and Afghan refugees can reach safety from the Taliban.  "If the German Foreign Minister can do it, then why can't he? "We have countless people trapped in Afghanistan who are fearing for their lives. The Prime Minister said the Government would move heaven and earth to help them, but still nobody has even bothered to even fly out to the region to meet with key international partners. It’s time for Raab to pull his finger out and engage in meaningful diplomacy in the region.”