Mexico Welcomes Planeload of Fleeing Afghans, Including Journalists
Minister of Presidency Felix Bolanos (L) welcomes the captain of Afghanistan's women's wheelchair basketball team Nilofar Bayat (C) and her husband Ramish (R) upon their arrival aboard the second Spanish evacuation airplane, carrying Afghan collaborators and their families, that landed at the Torrejon de Ardoz air base, 30 km away from Madrid, on August 20, 2021. MARISCAL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

A plane carrying 175 Afghans, who fled from Afghanistan, arrived in Mexico on Tuesday night on one of the last flights to leave Kabul on the day U.S. forces completed their withdrawal from the strife-torn country.

Mexican officials welcomed the latest group to arrive from Afghanistan that is now being controlled by Taliban Islamist militants after the U.S. forces left.

Mexico Grants Entry of Afghans on Humanitarian Grounds

According to Reuters, it was the fourth group of Afghans granted entry by Mexico on humanitarian grounds. Based on the statement of the Mexican foreign ministry, the latest group that arrived on Mexican soil included independent journalists and activists accompanied by their families.

Out of the 175 fleeing Afghans, 75 were children. Over the past week, three previous flights from Afghanistan to Mexico included media workers from the South Asian country and members of prominent U.S.-based newspapers.

A source with knowledge of the evacuation operation told Reuters that the latest group to arrive in Mexico included journalists from Afghan news outlets TOLO TV and Arman FM radio.

The Mexican foreign ministry noted that more Afghan civilians were expected to arrive in Mexico in the coming days. However, the number of individuals who would be arriving was not specified.

Facebook also backed the evacuation effort of bringing Afghan journalists to Mexico. The social media giant acknowledged its support for the airlift in a brief statement sent to Reuters on Tuesday.

Mexico Welcomes Afghan All-Girls Robotics Team

Days after the Taliban takeover, Mexico has welcomed its first group of refugees from Afghanistan. All five members of the internationally recognized Afghan all-girls robotics team and one man arrived in Mexico City.

Mexico's Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard welcomed the group of Afghan refugees during their arrival Tuesday last week.

"Welcome to your home," Ebrard noted. Ebrard added that the Mexican government would grant them "whatever legal status they consider best."

The offered entry by the country on humanitarian grounds grant includes the possible asylum or refugee status. One member of the robotics group thanked the government of Mexico and said that the country saved their lives.

The young women were members of the known all-girls robotics team, who traveled across six different countries to reach Mexico. The group has competed in various robotics competitions in the world.

The team left Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country last month. They were worried as the Taliban have been hostile to women working or going to school after a certain age, especially they were well known in their country and could be easily identified.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Afghan Refugee Group Arrives in Mexico After Fleeing Taliban Rule - From Al Jazeera English