CIMM – Inquiry Of Ministry – November 07, 2023

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Question No.
Q-1674

By
Mr. Genuis (Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan)

Date
June 20, 2023

The Honourable Marc Miller

Question

With regard to the special measures program for Afghanistan announced by the government: (a) what is the number of visible minorities that have been evacuated thus far, in total; (b) how many of the evacuees in (a) were (i) Afghan Hindus, (ii) Sikhs, (iii) Christians; (c) are there currently Afghan allied interpreters still in Afghanistan awaiting evacuation, and, if so, how many; and (d) what is the government doing to accelerate evacuation efforts for Afghan nationals whose safety remains at risk while waiting in limbo across third party countries such as India and Pakistan?

Reply

Insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is concerned:

• The Government of Canada is pleased to have welcomed over 37,000 vulnerable Afghans since Kabul fell in August 2021, with more arrivals coming regularly. The Government of Canada continues to facilitate safe passage and resettlement of vulnerable people from Afghanistan, with an emphasis on individuals who supported Canada and our allies over the past two decades, women leaders, LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) individuals, human rights defenders, journalists, and members of religious and ethnic minorities. In support of this focus, IRCC expanded its partnership with the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation, a Sponsorship Agreement Holder, to resettle hundreds of persecuted Afghan Sikhs and Hindus. In December 2021, the Minister also approved a Temporary public policy for the resettlement of certain Afghan nationals selected by the Minister of IRCC – Hazara Afghan nationals. 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 religious and ethnic minority communities in Afghanistan. We strongly condemn the attacks against these communities and offer our condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. In general, IRCC does not track clients’ race or religion and cannot provide the number of ethnic or religious minorities within the Afghan cohort that have been resettled thus far.
• As per the response above, IRCC priority groups include ethnic and religious minorities, which include Afghan Sikhs, Hindus and Christians. IRCC does not track religious affiliation of clients and cannot provide a breakdown of religious minorities within the Afghan cohort that have been resettled thus far.
• Due to security concerns, IRCC cannot release the specific number of former Afghan interpreters who have been approved for resettlement under the Special Immigration Measures Program.
• IRCC remains dedicated to prioritizing resettlement and safe passage services for Afghan clients. To this end, IRCC has significantly increased processing capacity in nearby countries to support increased demand and continues to process applications for Afghan nationals on a priority basis. In addition, IRCC continues to utilize charter flights and commercial options for Afghan clients in neighbouring countries. Since 2021, Canada has welcomed 58 charter flights for Afghan clients as well as a large number of arrivals on commercial flights from countries in the region. The Government of Canada maintains an active and constructive dialogue with international partners and continues to advocate for streamlined procedures and strengthened protections for vulnerable Afghans.