Ottawa, ON – Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration Refugees and Citizenship, released the following statement regarding his letter to the Hon. Minister Fraser, calling on the Liberal government to adopt the report recommendations from the Special Committee on Afghanistan study into the Afghanistan withdrawal:
“Following heart-breaking testimony from committee witnesses, including Afghan interpreters, NGOs, Canadian Forces veterans, and international organizations it is clear the government was woefully unprepared to execute a competent withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Months before the Afghan government fell in August 2021, the Liberals had been warned about the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground in Afghanistan. Committee members heard witnesses detail how they anxiously pursued Canadian officials to take immediate action to evacuate Afghans and their families before it was too late.
“Worse, as this crisis unfolded on the eve of an unnecessary election, testimony emphasised that the government was placed into caretaker mode, and the IRCC understaffed its email and phone lines for Afghanistan during the most critical time to act.
“Now, it has almost been a year since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Yet, many refugees who applied to come to Canada via the Special Immigration Measures introduced back in August 2021 still haven’t even received application numbers or Unique Client Identifiers. Thousands of Afghans remain stranded in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries burdened with the glacial pace of the IRCC processing their documents.
“Conservatives continue to stand with Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban. Every day that goes by delaying their arrival to Canada is another day these people are living under threat from the Taliban. Minister Fraser, his ministry, and the IRCC must immediately act on the recommendations presented to them from the committee’s report. Cut the red tape, stop the excuses, and get these families to safety within our borders.”
MP Hallan’s letter to the Hon. Minister Fraser can be read here.
