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Globe NEWS: Former Afghan embassy guards plead with Ottawa: ‘Please don’t forget us’

NDP Immigration critic Jenny Kwan said the Prime Minister is making up excuses for not providing the travel documents, especially for security guards and interpreters who received high-security vetting to be able to work at the embassy.

”Frankly they are running out of excuses. People’s lives are on the line,” she said. “People are not saying help us get out of Afghanistan. They are saying give us the travel documents so we can get out of Afghanistan and to safety.”

Ms. Kwan emphasized that the House of Commons Immigration committee unanimously passed a motion last week calling on the government to simplify the processing for Afghans, as it has for Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression.

Mohammad, who worked at the embassy as a full-time guard since 2013, said the Taliban are hunting Afghans who worked for Canada and other Western countries and they are getting help from informants.

He and his wife and three young children are in hiding. They abandoned their home in Kabul and are relying on safe houses to avoid being caught by the Taliban.

MEDIA RELEASE - Liberals must remove red tape to bring families of Afghan interpreters and collaborators to Canada

OTTAWA – Today, NDP Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Jenny Kwan called out the Liberal government for requiring Afghan interpreters to complete even more bureaucratic red tape before they can bring their families to safety in Canada. Only days after the interpreters held a protest and hunger strike to highlight the already frustrating and lengthy process in March, the government requested even more documentation from their family members seeking asylum.

“Afghan interpreters and their families have gone through enough,” said Kwan. “Just days after their protest, the government decided to complicate the process even more for these Afghan interpreters and their family members threatened by the Taliban. While the families flee for their lives in Afghanistan, the government is burying their loved ones with more onerous paperwork. For some, this may as well be a death sentence.”

MEDIA RELEASE - Liberals must expand sanctions to crack down on Putin

“The reports of Putin’s war crimes against Ukrainians are appalling. As Ukrainians are being bombed and killed by Putin’s illegal invasion of their country, New Democrats welcome newly announced sanctions against Russia. However, it’s extremely unfortunate that there are still parts of the Russian defense sector that haven’t been sanctioned this far into Putin’s war. While the NDP has been calling for the expansion of these measures, the Liberals refuse to take the necessary steps.
We are also concerned that while yachts and properties are being seized by other countries, there has been little information regarding how Canadian sanctions are being enforced and how effective they’ve been in hitting Putin and his oligarchs where it hurts. We have been urging the government to be more transparent to ensure sanctions aren’t just empty words, but truly laser focused on those who are benefiting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

STATEMENT: Jenny Kwan’s statement on the launch of EMPP and the Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility

The Liberals need to make good on their promises if we are to meaningfully realize the talent of ​the refugees who want to come to Canada and contribute to ​Canada's economic, social and cultural fabric.
Furthermore, the EMPP’s requirement that applicants must have UNHCR refugee status determination means that many talented refugees will not be able to access this program as in some regions,  there are no UNHCR offices available. This requirement is not only an impediment for this program, it is also a huge barrier for those seeking private sponsorships through the Group of Five Initiative. I have repeatedly called on the government to waive this requirement and I must echo that call now. For those seeking asylum in Canada and elsewhere, time is of the essence.

REALITY CHECK: Conservatives want the Liberals to increase budget spending by $25 Billion

New Democrats believe it's important to be fiscally responsible with Canadians' money. That's why they proposed measures to make the very rich pay their fair share to invest in programs to help Canadians:
        • Making big banks, big box stores and big oil pay their fair share on excess profits.
        • Cut billion-dollar subsidies to big oil.
"The Conservatives and Liberals continue to protect the profits of the super-rich and are getting us nowhere on solving big problems people are facing now. The Liberals found a way to give billions to big oil companies while they are making record profits on the fantasy of being able to capture carbon. And while the Conservatives like to pretend they want to help you, they refuse to make the ultra-rich pay their fair share. Leaving you and your family struggling to make ends meet. While the Liberals and Conservatives protect the very rich and their profits made on the backs of people, New Democrats stand with workers and families. Every time." – NDP MP Charlie Angus

MEDIA RELEASE - New Democrats are using their power to secure results that will make a big difference in people’s lives

In Budget 2022, the NDP secured dental care coverage for kids, help to pay rent for a million Canadians, and making big banks pay their fair share

OTTAWA – With today’s budget, the NDP used their power to secure results the Liberals haven’t delivered – results that will make a big difference in people’s lives. The cost of living has gone up and people are struggling to make ends meet. By asking the big banks to pay a little bit more, we can help families make ends meet with dental care coverage and help to find a home.

CIMM MEDIA RELEASE: Extending special immigration measures to regions faced with humanitarian crises

MP Jenny Kwan’s motion to address the differential treatment of refugees in different regions is being passed at the Immigration Committee.

IN THE NEWS: Hill Times - Scrap tax exemption ‘loophole’ causing ‘erosion’ of rental affordability: housing advocates

The existing corporate tax exemption makes real estate investment trusts (REITs) especially attractive to investors, said Steve Pomeroy, a housing policy consultant and professor of industry at McMaster University. He said the big-picture result has been the “erosion” of affordable rental units over the years as large corporate landlords have used this “much larger pool of capital” to buy older apartment buildings, renovate vacant units, and raise rents.

NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.) said whether these measures make it into the budget “remains to be seen, but the NDP is absolutely calling for the government to take action.” She described the corporate tax exemption as “a tax loophole” that benefits investors at the expense of renters.

MEDIA RELEASE - Liberals continue to rubberstamp oil projects, fail to invest in workers or solutions to the worsening climate crisis

Just days ago, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a scathing report warning people that we cannot continue on our current path if we are going to have any chance of addressing climate change.
The reality we are facing could not be more clear: bolder action is urgently needed.
But today, we learned the Liberals are going ahead with a new fossil fuel project and will continue to hand out billions of dollars to oil and gas companies.

IN THE NEWS: Globe & Mail - Church group halts refugee sponsorship role, calls on Ottawa to provide support

A B.C. church organization that has been instrumental in sponsoring refugees has abruptly suspended its program, as Canada’s private sponsors face frustration and burnout amid a growing humanitarian crisis.

“I regret to inform you that all sponsorship activities under the auspices of the Anglican Diocese of BC are hereby suspended effective immediately,” Tony Davis, the diocese’s sponsorship co-ordinator, told community partners in a March 27 e-mail obtained by The Globe and Mail. “This action is taken with a heavy heart, and I am not certain how long the issues behind this decision will take to be resolved.”