Senator Jaffer: Senator Gold, can you please also ask — when the trouble started in Afghanistan, many of us were told to work with NGOs to help the fleeing Afghans to arrive at other places, and we did. And now these people are without funds in other countries. This was done specifically by instructions from people in the government that they would be processed quickly.

May I please ask, what is holding up this process? I work with many women peace builders, and it breaks my heart that I assured them, our government assured them that their visas would be processed quickly. Now they are in Mexico and Portugal and many other areas waiting for our government to process their documents, so may I please also ask you to find out about that? Thank you.

Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, my question is also to the leader of the Senate. Senator Gold, I first want to thank you. The last few weeks have been very difficult, especially for you, and you have represented us really well. I want to thank you for the work you have done on our behalf.

I don’t need a response to this question, and this question would have been better last week when my colleagues Senator Ataullahjan and Senator Omidvar asked it. Senator, I just want you to make inquiries about why it’s taking so long, when our country has made a commitment to bring 40,000 Afghan refugees, why is it taking so long to process them?

I am a beneficiary of quick process from Uganda. So were the Syrians and so are many other people who were refugees fleeing from other countries. I just want you to find out what is holding up the processing, because all three of us are getting lots of inquiries. We really need to know what is holding this up so maybe we can tell people to make other arrangements. Thank you, senator.