Ottawa urged to stress Pakistan to cease deporting Afghans, velocity up refugee claimsDecember 23, 2022

The federal Liberal authorities is dealing with calls to intervene amid studies that Pakistan is getting ready to arrest and expel Afghan refugees, lots of whom are ready to flee to Canada.

The Liberal authorities promised in August 2021 to resettle 40,000 Afghans who’ve fled their nation to flee the Taliban.

That features 1000’s of Afghans with connections to Canada, together with former interpreters who served alongside the Canadian Armed Forces.

However solely about 27,000 Afghan refugees have arrived in Canada greater than a 12 months later, with 1000’s ready in Pakistan for phrase on once they can depart.

Now there are fears that Pakistan will begin arresting and deporting Afghans who’ve sought momentary refuge, together with a whole bunch already authorized to return to Canada, on the finish of the month.

The Pakistan authorities has set a deadline of Dec. 31 for foreigners with out visas, or with expired visas, to depart. If not, they face the chance of arrest and deportation.

The worry is that if despatched again, they’ll face persecution or loss of life by the hands of the Taliban.

“This risk will compound what’s already one of many world’s worst humanitarian crises ever,” mentioned Wendy Cukier of Lifeline Afghanistan, a corporation that has been serving to carry Afghan refugees to Canada.

“Canada should use each means at its disposal – diplomacy, humanitarian help, even commerce negotiations and financial partnerships – to steer Pakistan to work with Canada to resolve this problem.”

The Canadian authorities has acquired assurances from Pakistan that it’s going to not arrest or deport Afghans after the Dec. 31 deadline, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Dubois mentioned in a press release on Friday.

“Whereas there have been considerations that some Afghan refugees in Pakistan could also be returned to Afghanistan or jailed after the Dec. 31 expiration of this waiver, the federal government of Pakistan has indicated that the one enforcement motion that may very well be taken in opposition to foreigners overstaying their visas would be the reimposition of fines and probably being blacklisted from returning to Pakistan,” she mentioned.

“Canada appreciates the continued efforts by the federal government of Pakistan to facilitate the protected passage of Canada-bound Afghan refugees,” Dubois added.

“We proceed to advocate for streamlined procedures and strengthened protections for weak Afghans and recognize Pakistan’s assist in serving to safe routes of protected passage.”

However that’s chilly consolation to NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan, who says she has been warning the federal government concerning the impending deadline for the reason that Pakistan authorities first introduced its plan in October.

Kwan pointed to quite a few studies in current weeks of Pakistan authorities checking foreigners’ visas and making arrests as proof of the risk.

“The state of affairs on the bottom for people who find themselves making an attempt to flee persecution from the Taliban is that this isn’t reassuring in any respect,” she mentioned. “The fact is that they’re dwelling in worry daily.”

Kwan mentioned she has personally acquired textual content messages about Pakistani police having raided a lodge the place Afghan refugees had been staying.

“And the one means I’m informed that individuals can’t get arrested in that course of is to pay heavy bribes,” she mentioned.

“The fact is that individuals have been hiding, and so they haven’t been working. They don’t actually have the assets to have the ability to afford to pay these hefty bribes. That’s what’s taking place on the bottom for folks.”

The federal authorities has been repeatedly criticized for the tempo of its work to carry Afghan refugees to Canada, dealing with anger and frustration over delays and what many see as a scarcity of urgency.

Kwan echoed Cukier’s name for the federal government to place no matter stress attainable on Pakistan to not act on its Dec. 31 deadline, and for Ottawa to hurry up resettlement efforts.

“There are individuals who served Canada, they’re the family members of people that put their lives in danger in serving Canada, and now the Taliban is searching them down aggressively,” she mentioned.

“So, the federal government must make good on their promise that they’d carry these Afghans to security.”