Thirty Afghan interpreters have arrived in their new home of New Zealand but fear for the safety of their colleagues whom the Government did not bring back.
A total of 94 Afghan men, women and children arrived at Whenuapai Air Force base in Auckland yesterday after interpreters who worked with New Zealand forces and their immediate families were offered relocation packages by the Government.
But only those who had worked with the New Zealand troops after December 2010 were eligible.
The interpreters were grateful for the opportunity to start a new life in New Zealand but appealed to the Government to extend the offer to their colleagues still in Afghanistan.
"We have left fellow interpreters that have been missed by a couple of months and they might be in danger. So I would like to ask the New Zealand Government if possible try to bring them to New Zealand as well," said Parmiz Hakimi, 28.
There would be great risk to interpreters who worked with coalition forces without the support of New Zealand troops who pull out this month, one interpreter said.
"The Taliban and anti-government forces wouldn't let us be alive if we remained in Afghanistan," said Gulnazim Kazimi, 24.
But Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Rhys Jones said those interpreters left in Afghanistan did not face sufficient danger to warrant their resettlement.