Thousands of Afghans who helped Canada trapped in Afghanistan, struggling to leave
The federal government needs to do more to help thousands of Afghans who assisted Canadian Forces but remain trapped in Afghanistan a year after the Taliban seized Kabul, aid groups and opposition parties say.
As the grim anniversary passed Monday, NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan warned at a news conference that Canada will have blood on its hands if it does not take immediate action to help Afghans whose lives are in danger because they helped Canadians.
She called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene to sort out “chaos” at the Immigration Department, which she said has still not processed many applications to come to Canada.
“No more excuses,” Kwan said. “We do not want to lose lives because if we do the blood is on the Canadian government’s hands.”
Aman Lara, a Canadian non-profit working on the ground in Afghanistan to help people leave the country, said 8,000 Afghans approved to come to Canada have not yet been able to escape. Many do not have a passport or visa and applying to the Taliban for documents could put them in danger.
Another 3,000 Afghans who helped the Canadian Armed Forces and government have not been approved to come to Canada, according to Aman Lara executive director Brian Macdonald.
Kwan said 100 security guards at Canada’s Afghan Embassy, and a senior Afghan interpreter who received a certificate of appreciation for his service to Canada, are among those stranded.
An interpreter, identified only as “Mr. X” to avoid retaliation from the Taliban, told reporters at the news conference that he escaped to Pakistan but had to leave his family behind. He begged for help, saying the Taliban had issued a warrant for his arrest.
“This is a matter of life and death,” he said, speaking virtually from Pakistan.
Kwan said one Afghan she has been in touch with about his application to come to Canada is now missing.
Wadood Dilsoz, founder of a group called Afghan Community Vancouver, said former embassy security guards have told him the Canadians promised them help but left them behind.
He said “their families and children are suffering every single moment” and are in fear of being killed or tortured.“
“I believe that it is our moral obligation to help those who helped us,” he added.
The NDP, Tories and Aman Lara urged Canada to extend the special immigration program for Afghans. It was set up to settle 18,000 former local employees of the Canadian Armed Forces or government, but is being wound down after reaching capacity.
“We are asking the government of Canada to keep the special immigration program open and unlimited in numbers until everybody who helped Canada gets out,” Macdonald said.
Canada reached an agreement with Pakistan in June to allow Afghans without full identity documents to fly to Canada from Pakistan for 60 days. Macdonald wants Canada to negotiate to keep that window open until all Afghans approved to come to Canada are able to get here.
Official figures show Canada’s resettlement efforts have lagged behind federal targets and efforts to help those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Canada promised to resettle 40,000 Afghans, and in the last year 17,300 arrived. Since
January, some 71,800 Ukrainians fleeing the
Russian invasion in their country landed in Canada.
Fraser predicted in December that it could take two years to fulfil the government’s promise to bring 40,000 Afghans to Canada.
Kwan said there is a “stark difference” between the government’s treatment of those fleeing the Taliban and those escaping the Russian invasion.
Vincent Hughes, a spokesman for Fraser, said the Afghan and Ukrainian immigration programs are very different but that Canada’s commitment to bringing at least 40,000 vulnerable Afghans to Canada “has not wavered.”
He said Afghan refugees who arrive through programs set up to bring them to Canada have a right to stay permanently, whereas it’s believed many Ukrainians intend eventually to return to Ukraine.