CIMM – Response to Petition – NO.:441-00900 – February 8, 2023
Prepare in English and French marking ‘Original Text’ or ‘Translation’
By: Mr. Genuis (Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan)
Date: November 30, 2022
Print Name of Signatory: Marie-France Lalonde, M.P.
Response by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Signature
Minister or Parliamentary Secretary
Subject
foreign affairs
Original text
Reply
The Government of Canada takes the protection and promotion of human rights seriously and is deeply concerned with the discrimination and violence that has affected Sikhs, Hindus and other religious and ethnic communities in Afghanistan. We strongly condemn the attacks against these communities and offer our condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.
The Government of Canada remains firmly committed to resettling at least 40,000 Afghan refugees by the end of 2023. Our commitment to resettle vulnerable Afghan nationals to Canada is being fulfilled through several programs, including a humanitarian program focused on resettling women, LGBTQ2 people, human rights defenders, journalists and members of religious and ethnic minorities. As of November 30, 2022, we have welcomed 25,865 vulnerable Afghans to Canada.
Resettling refugees is a proud part of Canada’s humanitarian tradition. It demonstrates to the world that Canada has a shared responsibility to help those who are displaced, persecuted and most in need of protection. As with previous large-scale resettlement efforts, we welcome the support of the many Canadians who want to lend a helping hand. The Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program is one of the oldest and best known resettlement programs in the world.
Through this program, we’re expanding our partnership with the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation (MSBF), a sponsorship agreement holder, to resettle hundreds of persecuted Afghan Sikhs and Hindus. In partnership with MSBF, we also created a dedicated public policy to resettle vulnerable members of the Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities on August 6, 2021.
As part of a further measure to leverage the goodwill of Canadians and bring vulnerable Afghans to Canada, on October 17, 2022, Canada put in place a temporary public policy to facilitate the sponsorship of up to 3,000 privately sponsored Afghan refugees by Groups of Five and Community Sponsors, which waives the Refugee Status Determination requirement for Afghan refugees outside of Afghanistan. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) received a significant number of requests to fill all spots for this special program, demonstrating once again the willingness of Canadians to contribute to our resettlement efforts. Groups of Five and Community Sponsors can continue supporting refugees through other methods of private sponsorship, such as our regular PSR program that continues to be available. More information on how to sponsor a refugee can be found on our website at Sponsor a refugee - Canada.ca
We are working with our partners, both internationally and within the Government of Canada, to find comprehensive solutions, as we know many persecuted minorities remain in Afghanistan. There are operational challenges due to the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan, which compromise our ability to ensure the safety and security of our mission. Support for religious freedoms both at home and abroad remains a priority for the Government of Canada, and we will continue to facilitate refugee resettlement and honour our international humanitarian commitments.
All key statistics, updated regularly, may be found on the Departmental website at #WelcomeAfghans: Key figures - Canada.ca
The IRCC’s public policies may be consulted on the Departmental website at Public policies - Canada.ca
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