UK in final stages of Afghan exit, taking no more evacuees

A member of the UK Armed Forces bumps fists with a child as he continues to take part in the evacuation of entitled personnel from Kabul airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan August 19-22, 2021, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on August 23, 2021. LPhot Ben Shread/UK MOD Crown copyright 2021/Handout via REUTERS/Files

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain will not accept any more people for flights out of Kabul beyond those already inside the airport after it shut its processing centre and entered the final stages of its evacuation from Afghanistan, defence minister Ben Wallace said on Friday.

He said Britain was preparing the last 1,000 people inside the airfield who would fly out on Friday as the country winds down its 20-year presence in Afghanistan, set to complete its departure before the United States' scheduled exit by Aug. 31.