Canada has said it will resettle some 5,000 Afghan refugees evacuated by the United States (US). Canada plans to house more than 20,000 Afghans in vulnerable conditions.
“We know there is more that needs to be done with the end of the allied evacuation operation (in Afghanistan). We are trying our best to help as many Afghans as we can who want to settle in Canada,” Canadian Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said Tuesday.
In recent weeks, Canada evacuated 3,700 people from Kabul airport. About 2,000 of them are Afghans and their families. They were included in the evacuation mission because they had helped Canadian diplomats and soldiers assigned to Afghanistan.
“54 percent of Canadians think their country should act more quickly to help Afghans”
“We want to welcome the Afghan families who have helped Canadians, who have fought for justice, for women, for journalists,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a campaign event in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Canada hopes to continue to help resettle Afghans as long as the Taliban allow them to leave the country. “Afghan citizens with travel documents to other countries should be allowed to move safely and freely abroad without interference. Canada and its allies stand firm on this, and we are united,” said Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau.
Last week, Postmedia/Leger Marketing published a poll on the Afghanistan evacuation mission. As a result, 54 percent of Canadians think their country should act more quickly to help Afghans.
(NFL)
