From the beginning, this has been a whole-of-government response to the situation in Afghanistan.
During the evacuation, we worked with our allies to get more than 3,700 evacuees out of Kabul thanks to efforts by the Canadian Armed Forces/Department of National Defence (CAF/DND) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
Operational teams from IRCC, GAC and DND were on the ground in Afghanistan to support those efforts. We had to remain nimble and adapt to an ever-changing environment as we worked to get as many out as possible.
IRCC continues to process applications as quickly as possible, but the reality is that there are obstacles facing us in Afghanistan that were not present in other large-scale resettlement efforts.
Clients who have not received a response from the Government of Canada
From the beginning, we have remained committed to resettling as many vulnerable Afghans as possible.
Unfortunately, a crisis of this magnitude means that there will always be more demand for resettlement to Canada than we are able to meet.
The Government of Canada received an overwhelming response from those interested in applying for the special measures, which is why a multi-step referral process was implemented to confirm potential applicants qualify before they submit an application and begin processing. We are working with Global Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence to receive referrals for the special immigration measures program.
We are working as quickly as possible to process applications remotely and digitally with the assistance of staff across the organization through our global network of migration officers. Our goal is to provide clarity to everyone who has inquired about this program.
IRCC recognizes that there are many Afghans nationals whose applications have been accepted, but they have not yet been able to travel to Canada. We remain in close contact with these individuals who are still in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.
We created an online web form and dedicated telephone line (+1-613-321-4243) to serve Afghans who are seeking information and assistance.
Lessons learned from our efforts
There are obstacles facing us in Afghanistan that were not present in other large-scale resettlement efforts, given the majority of Afghans in need of protection are located in Afghanistan.
The current situation in Afghanistan is complex and the challenges are extraordinary. We are navigating a constantly evolving situation in which the Government of Canada has no military or diplomatic presence. Movement out of Afghanistan both by air and by land continues to be very difficult and dangerous.
We are using all available means, exploring new avenues and innovating new ways to help Afghans inside and outside of Afghanistan.
For example, officers used WhatsApp as a way to contact clients and gather critical information to facilitate processing.
Working on the ground in Kabul, officers used QR codes to increase the number of biometric enrolments that could be done in a given day, and this technique continues to be used in Islamabad and Albania.
We continue to benefit from lessons learned from previous refugee initiatives in order to effectively leverage support from our partners.
Communication with clients (in Afghanistan on matters related to safe passage)
The Government of Canada cannot arrange travel for those seeking to leave Afghanistan for another country as we have no personnel on the ground.
In order to secure safe passage for those in Afghanistan, we are working with partners in the region, whether it's state entities, international organizations or non-profit organizations.
We continue to communicate directly with IRCC-approved clients in Afghanistan and work with each of them, when travel ready, to verify they have necessary documents, and cooperate with authorities in neighbouring countries to facilitate border crossing.
Communication with clients (when they reach another country)
Canada is able to assist clients with an application in progress once they arrive in a third country. We do this financially through direct assistance and support during the application process as well as through travel loans. IRCC issues visas and Single Journey Travel Documents, if needed, to facilitate clients’ onward travel to Canada.
Afghans who have received an invitation to apply for the special immigration measures and who leave Afghanistan and arrive in a third country are asked to let the Government of Canada know where they are and keep us updated.
All applicants under our special immigration measures continue to remain eligible whether they remain in Afghanistan or not. Applicants do not need to currently be in Afghanistan or return to Afghanistan to meet the immigration requirements.
Comparisons with the crisis in Ukraine
Each humanitarian crisis that Canada responds to is different from those that came before it. With each unique circumstance, we learn more about how to respond effectively.
Ukrainian nationals who arrive through the newly announced temporary or permanent pathways will not be entering as refugees. We heard from the Ukrainian community that many people wanted to come to Canada temporarily seeking safe harbour while the situation unfolds, and then return home once it is safe to do so.
IRCC is committed to a fair and non-discriminatory immigration system. We deal with thousands of applications from people from around the world every day. We take this responsibility seriously and as part of our commitment to anti-racism, equity and inclusion, we are looking closely at those criteria through the lens of how they impact racialized clients, to ensure our programs and policies are fair, equitable, and culturally sensitive.
The newly announced Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) temporary program allows us to get people here quickly based on demand. It is an exceptional measure to address the unique situation of Ukraine and was designed taking into consideration many factors, including:
Canada’s unique relationship with Ukraine
extensive diaspora and family links and supports that are already in Canada
the requirement for temporary safety
the fact that Ukraine shares borders with the European Union, where Ukrainians can seek temporary safety and durable solutions.
Making Public Policies public
This unique environment has required the Government of Canada to be flexible and to tailor approaches to provide assistance for unusual situations. In consideration of this vulnerable population and to protect the integrity of the process, we have not been releasing the public policies.
The Government of Canada is committed to transparency. There are, however, instances, where it is not possible to publish public policies, including when disclosure will pose a risk for clients and staff or impact foreign policy options.
We recognize the situation continues to evolve and we are reassessing these risks now.
While the public policies have not been published to date, IRCC’s website is comprehensive and provides all the information required for applicants to apply under these programs.
How come we didn’t get more Afghans out?
Canada, like our allies, would have remained in Afghanistan longer to continue the evacuation, but the security situation deteriorated rapidly.
Throughout the final days of the evacuation, we focused on streamlining our processes, approving applications rapidly and ensuring that we could fill planes as CAF and other Government of Canada chartered flights were able to get into Kabul. We worked to get as many people out as we could until the situation at the airport prevented us from operating safely.
The Government of Canada and our allies were able to get more than 3,700 evacuees out of Kabul in a matter of weeks. In addition, Canada contributed to a coalition effort that has seen more than 100,000 people evacuated.
By working with our allied partners, particularly the United States, Canada leveraged additional evacuation capacity, as other participating nations were carrying Canadian citizens and Afghan nationals destined for Canada on their flights.
In spite of these challenges, Canada is working hard to bring as many vulnerable Afghans as possible to safety and it is important that we reflect on the fact that Afghans are arriving. We’ve welcomed almost 11,500 vulnerable Afghans to Canada, with more arriving every week.
Movement out of Afghanistan both by air and by land continues to be very difficult and dangerous. The key challenge we face is that many at-risk Afghans remain in Afghanistan and are unable to leave.
In order to secure safe passage for those in Afghanistan, we are working with partners in the region, whether it's state entities, international organizations, private sector entities or non-profit organizations.
If pressed on allegations that planes left Kabul half-empty
My colleague, the Minister of Defence, may have more to say on this, but generally speaking, planes were only able to be on the ground for a very short window, as take-off and landing times had to be strictly adhered to. Canada was one of 13 countries participating in the U.S.-led air bridge, and as part of that arrangement, had secured a guaranteed landing time each day. This strict scheduling was what allowed the air bridge to function.
Canada’s passenger load per flight was actually on par with that of its coalition partners.
Why is progress so slow?
We are working with like-minded countries, regional country partners and international organizations to safely and efficiently resettle at least 40,000 Afghan nationals.
The complex challenges we face in getting people out of Afghanistan are the same that other countries are facing. This includes the lack of biometric availability to complete necessary security screening, the lack of safe and secure routes and arrangements for travel out of the country into a transiting country, the absence of stable conditions and constantly changing requirements related to exit documentation at checkpoints and international crossings into third countries.
Also, the lack of a physical presence in Afghanistan has presented challenges in how we collect and verify the information of applicants still in the country. Until full in-country processing is feasible, we have an innovative and robust solution in place, using a multi-stage approach to security screening in Afghanistan. This ensures that the necessary initial client security screening can be completed prior to departure.
Requirements from some transit countries can shift, and can vary depending on which Afghan documents a client may have, which country they plan to go to and whether they plan to travel by land or by air. We continue to work tirelessly to speed up the process and help as many Afghan refugees and other vulnerable Afghan nationals as possible.
We also continue to remind Afghans that it is important to follow the immigration laws of countries they plan to enter. Otherwise, they could be detained or deported back to Afghanistan. This can make it harder to get help to travel to Canada or any other country.
How did we decide who got out, and who was making the decision?
Evacuation efforts in Afghanistan focused on Canadian citizens and permanent residents, including their families, as well as those who helped support Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan. The latter were referred to my department by Global Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence.
The processing of applications was not the impeding factor to getting people out of Afghanistan. The situation on the ground was dire, chaotic and challenging. We contacted people as soon as their application was approved and asked them to be ready at short notice.
We worked hard to provide the most up-to-date information, but the reality was that simply getting to the airport was extremely dangerous. Each person and family had to decide what was safe for them given their particular circumstances as there were armed checkpoints throughout Kabul blocking the way to the airport.
Canadian Armed Forces members also helped evacuees once they entered the coordination point near the airport and the airport perimeter, which remained the single biggest limiting factor in getting people out quickly. We worked with other federal partners as well as our allies on evacuation operations.
Criminal Liability and Operations in Afghanistan
Although the Taliban has taken over as the de facto government of Afghanistan, it is a listed terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. The majority of Afghans with an immigration pathway to Canada are still located within Afghanistan. Canada no longer has a presence inside Afghanistan, which poses challenges for completing immigration processing and providing safe passage out of the country.
IRCC is working closely with NGOs and international organizations to support safe passage operations for vulnerable Afghans. This is an unprecedented scenario and we continue to explore options as the situation develops. The Government of Canada engages with partners and like-minded countries to facilitate humanitarian, safe passage, and other immigration processing activities.
To avoid the risk of any Canadian funds benefitting the Taliban (whether directly or indirectly), Canada scrutinizes proposed activities and works closely with our partners to put in place measures to mitigate that risk. Depending on the circumstances, these measures may include contractual provisions, other forms of assurances and operational arrangements. The need for mitigation measures imposes some constraints on activities the Government is able to support, and the organizations with whom Canada can work.
By comparison, other like-minded countries have their own national frameworks for managing terrorist financing. For example, all of our 5 Eyes allies already had exemptions or provisions for humanitarian actions within their legal frameworks. Within each of those individual frameworks, both the US and the UK have licensing schemes and Australia and New Zealand also have mechanisms to allow activities that would otherwise be prohibited.
IRCC and partner departments will continue to work with domestic and international partners to assess how the relevant Criminal Code provisions are impacting safe passage activities in Afghanistan and identify additional mitigation measures.
