Welcoming Afghan newcomers as they disembark on Canadian soil

The Afghanistan effort has been a major focus for our department for the past few months. Many of us have been working our hearts out on this initiative, including Akweley, acting supervisor on the Prairies Resettlement Assistance Program in the Settlement Network.

On August 22, Akweley arrived in Toronto to support the arrival of Afghan refugees to Canada. For two weeks, she was on site to welcome Afghans to their new home. Akweley shared a bit about this experience, and what it felt like to be a part of the effort.

“It was eye-opening going through a situation like that,” she said. “When we spoke with some families and we’d ask basic questions like ‘OK where would you like to go in Canada?’, and they’d start breaking down and saying ‘we’re willing to go anywhere, we’re just so glad we are finally here’.”

There were two parts to Akweley’s role in welcoming Afghans to Canada: airport arrivals and temporary housing in hotels. She and the rest of the IRCC team helped assess what the immediate needs of the refugees were, including clothing and medical care. The airport arrivals were very streamlined and involved the collaboration of other Government of Canada departments including the Public Health Agency of Canada and Canada Border Services Agency.

When the planes arrived, service provider organizations were also present to provide translation services and to help transport the clients to hotels. It was the first time in her career that Akweley had worked so closely with other government departments. Because of the shift to remote work, it was also the first time she met many of her colleagues in person. The departments involved in this effort demonstrated teamwork and collaboration – which Akweley felt created a feeling of comfort for the refugees as they arrived at the airport.

It hit me that when they were saying things like ‘thank you’, seeing the relief on their faces, it meant so much for them.

“In day-to-day life if someone says thank you, you just say you’re welcome – but here they are thanking you for so much more.”

It wasn’t always easy though. In one instance, a baby arrived who was sick from inhaling sand. On another occasion, a young teenager disembarked who had been separated from his family at a checkpoint and hoped they had boarded a different flight – only to receive the devastating news that they had been casualties in an attack by the Taliban. Encounters such as these added an emotional burden to the already heavy workload, and we commend everyone for their tenacity during such trying times.

Reflecting on the experience, Akweley shared that it wasn’t until after she had returned home that she began to realize the magnitude of the Afghanistan effort and its impact. Overall, she described the experience as emotional but exhilarating.  She feels grateful for the type of work we do and for the relief we provide for these refugees.

Akweley also reflected on her role as a public servant, and shared that it wasn’t until this experience that she was able to fully grasp the meaning of the title ”public servant,” and how in circumstances like this, the service we provide to the public becomes more meaningful and clear.