Afghanistan: 76 rushed out of Kabul in second Australian rescue mission

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also left the door open to raising Australia's humanitarian intake from Afghanistan, now gripped by a humanitarian crisis after the Taliban seized power earlier this week.

Mr Morrison said 76 Australian citizens and Afghans with visas had been flown from the capital to an Australian base in the UAE on Wednesday night.

But he warned future rescue attempts would be hampered by coming poor weather and limited space at the airport.

"There are many countries who are involved in these operations, so the windows are very narrow. We have to take the slots when they're there, and move when we're able to do that," he said.

"The US and UK, through the military presence on the ground, continue to provide the security around the airfield that is enabling these operations to continue."

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It came a day after an RAAF C-130 military transport plane rushed 26 passengers out of the Afghan capital. A number have since been receiving treatment in Dubai.

"You can also imagine there is quite a bit of trauma and they are in a highly anxious state," Mr Morrison said.

The Prime Minister also revealed the first flight from the UAE to Perth was scheduled for Thursday evening, with passengers to be taken in outside of the normal quarantine caps.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday urged any Australian citizen or visa-holder to urgently travel to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport.

DFAT urged prospective evacuees to take safety precautions, with "large and potentially volatile crowds" likely to form.

"Review your personal security plans and be aware of your surroundings," the advice read.

But with Australian visa-holders potentially scattered across Afghanistan, Mr Morrison conceded many would struggle to reach the capital.

"We know who they are. Where they are is a challenge in this environment," he said.

"Whether they are able ... to get themselves to Kabul is [also] a challenge, considering what is happening across Afghanistan."

Forty additional ADF personnel have been deployed to Kabul to assist Australia's efforts, and three aircraft were on standby as of Thursday evening. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said they were not operating outside the airport.

"Suffice to say, this is still a very complex and challenging environment in which to work. Our officials are doing an extraordinary job in their support to Australians and the co0ordination with other partners," she said.

The airport was the site of distressing scenes earlier in the week, when thousands of Afghans were filmed attempting to board a US rescue plane.

US officials confirmed seven people were killed in the chaos, with at least two filmed plummeting to their deaths after attempting to cling on to the aircraft.

The Taliban shocked international observers by routing the Afghan army in a lightning advance, seizing control of the country within 10 days.

The return to power of the hardline Islamist group, after it was ousted by the 2001 invasion, has sparked particular concern for women as well as the persecuted Hazara minority.

The federal government has confirmed no Afghan temporary visa holder in Australia would be returned while the situation remained volatile, but the Prime Minister also flatly rejected calls to permanently resettle those who arrived by boat.

Australia's plan to take in 3000 Afghan refugees over the next 10 months has been dwarfed by commitments elsewhere, with the UK to resettle 5000 by the end of the year and 20,000 in the longer term. Canada will also accept 20,000 refugees.

But Mr Morrison on Thursday insisted Australia's humanitarian intake would be expanded if necessary.

"We see this as a floor, not a ceiling. We think we can achieve more," he said.

Those efforts would focus on educated women at particular risk, Mr Morrison said.

"We have a particular tranche that focuses on vulnerable women and girls. Always have," he said.

"It has been the most significant and highest priority, I would argue, in our humanitarian program and always receives keen interest from those administering it."

Mr Morrison on Tuesday conceded some Afghans who helped Australian soldiers during the occupation would die at the hands of the Taliban.

It came months after the federal government was warned Afghan interpreters who worked alongside Australians faced grave danger.

US President Joe Biden has rejected criticism of America's withdrawal, arguing its troops could not be expected to prop up the Afghan army indefinitely.

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