SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 110

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 7, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 110 - Oct/7/22
Mr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, CPC)
  • Oct/7/22 11:09:48 a.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, many Afghans who bravely helped our military are still stranded in Afghanistan. One such case has been brought to my attention by a retired Canadian serviceman. A former Afghan police colonel, whose courage and competence helped save Canadian lives, has been unable for months to get confirmation from Canadian authorities as to whether his application to come to Canada has been filled out properly. I cannot get confirmation either, despite asking repeatedly. The colonel has to fill out Canadian immigration paperwork on a cellphone with limited Internet service while hiding from people who want to kill him. When he fills out an online form, Canada provides no confirmation that it has or has not been properly received. No amount of asking will convince Canadian bureaucrats to share this information, which could be passed back to the colonel, allowing him to complete the forms to our satisfaction, so he and his wife and children hide in a basement, more likely to be freed from their predicament by death than by a government that cannot be bothered to let him know what he has to do to meet our paperwork requirements.
191 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 110 - Oct/7/22
Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)
  • Oct/7/22 11:49:31 a.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question, and for her passion and advocacy on behalf of some of the most vulnerable people in the world. I share her concern about their vulnerability and that is why we advanced one of the most substantial commitments, and in fact, the most substantial on a per capita basis, to resettle at least 40,000 Afghan refugees by the end of next year. I am so pleased to share with the House that a couple of weeks ago, we crossed an important milestone. We now have more than 20,000 Afghan refugees living safely in Canada. We are not done. We are going to do everything we can to make good on our commitment no matter what it takes.
128 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border