(NL Times) A Dutch court has ruled that the government must assist in relocating 42 Afghan guards who protected the Dutch embassy in Kabul during the Taliban takeover in 2021, along with their partners and minor children, NOS reports.
The guards worked for an external security company. The government had argued it bore no responsibility for their safety because the state did not directly employ them. The court disagreed, saying the arrangement resembles hiring through a temporary staffing agency, where the hiring organization can be held accountable for risks.
Since the Taliban took power, the Netherlands has not maintained an embassy in Afghanistan. The Afghan guards have repeatedly requested to be relocated to the Netherlands.
