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1,250 With Canadian Connection Still In Afghanistan

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Canadian officials vow to find a way to get remaining citizens, permanent residents or family members that are still in Afghanistan.

In an update Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau and Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Mendicino said that there are 1,250 that remain with the country.

Canada evacuated around 3,700 individuals from Afghanistan.

“We will not stop before we evacuate remaining Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their families, and the vulnerable Afghans who have supported our work in Afghanistan,” stressed Garneau.

Canada is also promising to welcome 5,000 more refugees who were originally evacuated to the United States, though neither government has confirmed yet when this will happen.

The Taliban has promised that anyone who wishes to leave the country would be able to do so.

“We will judge them by their actions, not their words,” says a skeptical Garneau. “Afghans with travel documents to other countries, must be allowed to move safely and freely out of the country without interference.”

The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling on the Taliban to allow safe, secure, and orderly departures from Afghanistan for Afghans and foreign nationals.

Canada is also working with other nations in looking into when Kabul Airport can again reopen.

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Over 1000 Afghans Evacuated On Canadian Flights

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Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan continue to intensify as individuals attempt to flee the Taliban-controlled country.

12 Canadian flights have departed Afghanistan thus far, transporting over 1000 Afghan nationals to safety, said Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, during a press conference on Sunday.

Those evacuated were considered the most vulnerable due to their work with Canada and allied countries.

“Our goal is clear it is to evacuate as many Canadians and vulnerable Afghans as possible for as long as the security situation will allow,” said Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The ministers recognized that the deteriorating situation near the Kabul airport has raised security concerns.

Canada’s efforts to aid those in Afghanistan have been scrutinized, as many question the slow pace of evacuation. Earlier this month, the Government of Canada announced they would resettle 20,000 vulnerable Afghans threatened by the Taliban and forced to flee Afghanistan.

“I have instructed that processing be accelerated, resources be added and that all red tape be cut without compromising security,” said Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Mendicino outlined a new agreement that ensures those fleeing are evacuated expeditiously.

“We have reached an air bridge agreement that allows Canadian-bound Afghans to board allied air carriers and in turn, allied-bound Afghans to board Canadian planes,” said Mendicino.

“This means that Canada has the ability to leverage more evacuation capacity through the air bridge jointly established by the coalition.”