Afghanistan

HANSARD: Petition calling on the government to immediately undertake an emergency immigration measure that grants a temporary residence permit and temporary travel documents for Afghans

AFGN#8: Humanitarian Assistance for the Afghan people

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Just to add to that, I've also written to the minister on the same issue. I've yet to receive a response. I think it was back in February when the letter was sent. I'd be happy to offer suggestions as to what the minister and government can do to address this urgent situation. I'd like to ask the minister a question. Witnesses mentioned that there were flights that left in the evacuation process that were half empty. I wonder if the minister can provide this committee with information on the number of flights that left in the evacuation where seats were left unfilled and how many of those seats were on each of those flights. Can we have that information tabled to the committee, please?

Harjit S. Sajjan Vancouver South, BC, Liberal
Mr. Chair, one thing I can say is that, in times of crisis like this, a lot of the decision-making is to make sure that the people on the ground have the appropriate delegation authority to make those decisions. I also just want to take the opportunity to thank the Canadian Armed Forces for the tremendous work they did in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I'm not the minister of defence now, and those requests will have to flow through Minister Anand.

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
I'm trying to get the stats on how many flights were evacuated, how many seats were on those flights and how many of those seats were filled with people. Then from there, of the people who filled the seats, how many of them were Afghan nationals and how many of them were people who worked for the embassy or were Canadian workers? Can we have that information tabled for the committee?

Harjit S. Sajjan Vancouver South, BC, Liberal
Mr. Chair, that information is held within the Ministry of Defence. One thing I can say is that creating that air bridge was extremely important, that work that Canada did to bring that together. Our folks on the ground did amazing work to get many people out. I just want to take this opportunity again to commend them. Every single day, to be able to witness the tremendous work that they did—

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CPAC VIDEO: NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan’s news conference on Parliament Hill

At a news conference on Parliament Hill, Jenny Kwan, the NDP critic for immigration refugees and citizenship, urges the federal government to expedite the resettlement of families of Afghan interpreters who provided assistance to Canadian forces during their mission in Afghanistan. She is joined by former interpreters who represent a group of families who are seeking resettlement.

STATEMENT: NDP stands up for Afghan interpreters' families

“Since the application process opened on December 9, 2021, these former Afghan interpreters representing 300 families submitted over 300 applications,” said Kwan. “To date, not one family from their group has arrived in Canada, and all applications submitted in January haven’t even received a file number. This is unacceptable. Meanwhile, lives hang in the balance. The government must expedite these applications so these families can be reunited safely in Canada.”

Hundreds of Afghan interpreters provided vital service​s to ​the Canadian military in Afghanistan. In early September 2021, just weeks after the fall of Kabul, former Afghan interpreters organized a hunger strike calling on the Liberal government to allow their extended families to get to safety in Canada. They were successful with their advocacy when the government announced new measures for extended families of Afghan interpreters—but the government has yet to process their applications.

AFGN#7: Humanitarian Assistance for the Afghan people

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
It's my understanding that you've also submitted a long list of individuals, of Afghans who need to get to safety. Did any of them receive a file number from the government or a response from the government?

Wadood Dilsoz, Director, Afghan Community Vancouver
They received only a confirmation. It was an automated confirmation. They haven't received anything, zero response.

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
When was the application or the contact made with the IRCC?

Wadood Dilsoz, Director, Afghan Community Vancouver
I have many people on my list. Some of them started from August 15 or 16, and onwards. The dates are different.

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
Okay, but none of them has received a response.
To the question around being able to leave Afghanistan and then get to a third country if they were given a travel visa or temporary resident permit from the Canadian government, would you agree that if that was done, Afghans would be able to get to a third country? It would be fraught with risks, and I'm not trying to minimize that, but would they have some capacity to do that? Or is that a reason for the government to then say, well, they can't even get to a third country, so there's no reason we should process their applications?

Wadood Dilsoz, Director, Afghan Community Vancouver
For some of these individuals, the IRCC suggested to me that if they go to a third country they would be able to help them. A few of them left Afghanistan. I can say some are journalists. One of them is a very well-known anchor, but none of them received any type of help or response. When they applied to UNHCR, as suggested to us by IRCC, the waiting list to meet with UNHCR is months long.

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
Thank you. Aside from the government needing to waive the refugee determination requirement, another thing that's a roadblock for Afghans to get to safety is the fact that the government requires them to be in a third country. I think that's why they're not processing their applications.  To all the witnesses, would you say that what the government must do at this point in time is to change that immigration requirement and to say that Afghans do not need to be in a third country in order to make their application?
I will start with Ms. Frogh, who has not spoken yet.

Wazhma Frogh, Founder, Women & Peace Studies Organization – Afghanistan
Yes, absolutely. If, for example, they are given a travel authorization.... Many of my colleagues received travel authorizations during the August evacuation. If that could be provided, or temporary permits, they will arrange somehow, with all the risks, to go, or maybe even to go from Afghanistan to another country. That is one step towards addressing it.
In August and September, my organization submitted...45 women who have been working with the Canadian military in Afghanistan, who have implemented Canada fund projects with Canada's embassy. None of those women have made it to Canada, and we have not heard a word from them. Even Canada's ambassadors have been involved. They were contacting IRCC on our behalf, but there has been nothing yet.

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
Thank you. I want to go back to the last question, because one of the huge roadblocks for people to get out is the immigration measure that requires people to be already in a third country. Without the temporary travel permit, they cannot get to a third country.
My question then, for Ms. Rezayee and then Mr. Dilsoz, is this: Should the government change the special immigration measure that requires Afghans to be in a third country in order to access immigration supports?

Wadood Dilsoz, Director, Afghan Community Vancouver
Absolutely, it has to be changed. As we speak right now, someone is being tortured or someone is being killed. This is unfortunate. I think we have to change these measures.

Friba Rezayee, Founder and Executive Director, Women Leaders of Tomorrow
Absolutely. What we're asking of the Canadian government is doable and achievable. Please remove the third country requirement, as well as the documents from UNHCR. Our female athletes are in Islamabad at the moment, but they can't have any documents from UNHCR in order to qualify for the IRCC application. Our need is very basic and also very doable.

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AFGN#6: Humanitarian Assistance for the Afghan people

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
On the question around resources, there's no question that there's a lack of resources for processing the application. The minister indicated at the immigration committee that it takes on average three years for privately sponsored refugees to make their way to Canada. They were contemplating that for the Ukraine situation, and if it's going to take three years, it's too long. You're right that there are too many people who are stuck in the backlog.
What should the government do by way of resourcing this properly so that we can get in the people who have been waiting and backlogged in the queue from other countries, as well as the people who are now in need of refugee status? Should they apply the same immigration measures they have made available to Ukraine so that people can come with a temporary residence permit and then make the application for refugee status here in Canada, or even extend that to privately sponsored opportunities?

Dr. Wendy Cukier, Founder, Lifeline Afghanistan, and Professor, Ryerson University, Ted Rogers School of Management
There are innovative approaches that governments have used in the past. There were 25,000 Syrian refugees who came in four months because the Prime Minister and the minister made a commitment and pulled out the stops. Whether you do it in the way they're doing it with Ukrainians or whether we do it the way we did it with Syrians, it's possible, but it does require resources and, more importantly, it requires shared political will. This can't be a partisan issue; this has to be a Canadian project.

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
I would agree that there needs to be innovation. Mind you, with the Syrian refugee initiative, the government didn't quite do it in four months, but I get your point. What you're saying is that it can be done much better than what is being done now, and what it needs is collaboration from all the parties and NGOs on the ground to get this work done. If the government's willing to lift the cap and make that opportunity available, I would absolutely agree with that.
I want to come back to the backlogs because part of the problem is this: The government announced the process for Afghans; however, they did not put additional resources into IRCC. Not only are people in other countries with refugee status backlogged, all immigration streams have been backlogged and there's complete chaos. That is the situation right now.
The government says it has put in additional resources, but these are not enough to deal with what we are dealing with right now. From that perspective, should there be a dedicated specific response and resources, both in financial resources as well as immigration levels numbers, to address the issue? Could I get a quick answer?

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HANSARD: Jenny asks if Afghans and other visible minorities fleeing Putin's war will be resettled

AFGH#5: Humanitarian Assistance for the Afghan people

David Theodore Lavery, As an Individual
I'll comment on the very beginning.
Back in July, we reached out to all the key people in the Canadian embassy, the security department and their program managers. We tried reaching out to the chargé d'affaires—the deputy. We sent a message off to them and the ambassador. The common response, especially when we were in the early stages, was that they were too busy, that they didn't really have time for us and that type of thing.
We kept on coming back at them. We utilized our team in Canada to try to get influence and to try to get the spark going. It just seemed like...maybe they were overwhelmed or maybe they were preoccupied with other issues, but the desire and the will to try to engage at that stage.... They pushed us aside.
That was, I guess, one of the pivotal points for us. It was the Canadian embassy's lack of engagement at that point in time, not only with me on the ground, but with our senior personnel back with the team in Canada.
That's all I would pass on at this stage.

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP
The reference to Ukraine was raised. The call for visa-free is going to be essential for Ukraine, and the government hasn't acted on that yet. I guess, similarly in this instance, dealing with the biometrics issue and waiving those documentations is key so that people can get out.
In terms of this, is your number one call for the government to waive the biometrics or engage with NGOs on the ground to get this work done to get people to safety?  Maybe we'll go to Mr. Lavery and then Ms. Long.

David Theodore Lavery, As an Individual
Yes, very quickly, you'd want to do both: engage with the talent on the ground and also have a waiver in place, but make sure you have the capability through that reliable partner on the ground.
Maybe I can turn it over to Eleanor or Wendy.

Eleanor Taylor, Deputy Executive Director, Aman Lara
Our number one priority at Aman Lara is most certainly a way to confirm identity in Afghanistan. We understand that the Government of Canada has a responsibility to confirm identity. I want to make it clear that there sometimes is a perception that Canada requires a passport. Canada does not require a passport. The Afghan passport is required for Afghans who are leaving Afghanistan to cross the Pakistani border. That's not a requirement of the Government of Canada. Yes, we think we can deliver that requirement of the Government of Afghanistan, either directly or indirectly, to support them in that confirmation of identity piece.

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HANSARD: Oral Question on the urgency of the Afghan situation

MEDIA RELEASE: Liberals failing on responsibilities to people in Afghanistan: NDP

OTTAWA– Today marks six months since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan which launched the country into the worst humanitarian crisis in decades. Since Canada pulled out of Afghanistan the situation has become desperate. Children are facing starvation and over 18 million Afghans are in need of emergency aid right now. The NDP’s critic for immigration, Jenny Kwan, and the critic for foreign affairs, Heather McPherson, are calling on the Liberal government to change its insufficient and unnecessarily bureaucratic response and immediately begin helping those people who are suffering.

“This past summer Canadians were horrified by the violence the Taliban used against people in Afghanistan. Six months later and the conditions for people there are certainly not improving,” said Kwan. “The Canadian government has a responsibility to people in Afghanistan and the Liberals must do everything in their power to help as many people as possible.”

The Criminal Code currently prohibits any individual from delivering goods or financial assistance that will benefit a terrorist organization like the Taliban, making it very difficult for humanitarian organizations from Canada to help Afghans trying to feed their families due to their fear of prosecution. Canadian humanitarian organizations have repeatedly asked the Liberal government to provide an exemption, as other countries have, that would allow them to deliver the aid that Afghans desperately need. The Liberal government has failed to respond to this call appropriately, leaving millions of Afghans, including children, on the brink of starvation and vulnerable to an escalating humanitarian crisis.