Sweden's evacuation from Kabul has now been completed.

This was announced by Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S) on Friday.

But both opposition politicians and the trade union ST have criticized that the government did not act earlier regarding the local employees at the Swedish embassy in Kabul.

- One should have thought about everyone's safety already initially, says Britta Lejon, union president at the trade union ST.

The plan to evacuate the local employees at the Swedish embassy came far too late - several days after countries such as Norway and Denmark, according to Britta Lejon who calls it a "stepmotherly treatment".

- The local employees felt abandoned, she says.

Email reveals desperation

SVT has received emails that Torkel Stiernlöf, Sweden's ambassador to Afghanistan, sent to the Foreign Ministry's leadership as early as 29 July.

He describes a "strongly growing concern among our local employees" and says that "several countries have come a long way in the planning to offer protection to their employees".

The email from Sweden's ambassador in Kabul was sent on July 29 to the Foreign Ministry's management.

Photo: UD

The emails are, with reference to confidentiality, largely masked.

But it appears that the ambassador is appealing for a plan to help the local employees.

"Hardly a day goes by without me or an employee being asked by a local employee what plan Sweden has for them in the event that the embassy closes," writes Torkel Stiernlöf and describes that "the feeling of panic is palpable".

Linde: "Thought we had more time"

At a press conference on Friday, Aftonbladet, which also published the e-mail correspondence, asked Foreign Minister Ann Linde about the ambassador's e-mail.

- Like everyone else, we were not prepared for the speed that the Taliban would occupy throughout Afghanistan.

We thought we would have more time.

Nor did the ambassador himself think it would go so fast.

Despite that, we got the local employees and their families out, says Ann Linde.

SVT has sought Ambassador Torkel Stiernlöf.