The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
CTV News – After Daring Escape, Afghan Interpreter Desperate to Bring Rest of Family to Canada
Hujat, who worked as an interpreter for the Canadian Armed Forces, moved to Canada years ago but had been in his homeland since February to care for his family and marry his longtime fiancée. On Aug. 15, the day Kabul fell to the Taliban, he was at the airport for a scheduled flight. He called his family, and they urged him to leave the country. He then saw people running for their lives, and so he began to run, too, while waving his Canadian passport.
CTV News – For Afghanistan Evacuees, New Challenges Await in Canada
All told, Canada had evacuated some 3,700 people out of Kabul by the time the final flight lifted off on Thursday, many of them Afghans to be resettled in Canada under a special immigration program that prioritizes those who assisted Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan. While escaping from Kabul may signal relief from immediate danger, Afghans hoping to resettle in Canada face their own set of challenges, from finding housing and perhaps learning a new language, to processing the ordeal they have just been through, say immigration lawyers.
Montreal Gazette – ‘It Isn’t Good Enough’: Advocate Calls for Investigation Into Canada’s Evacuation Efforts in Afghanistan
An investigation into Canada’s evacuation efforts in Afghanistan is needed, says a critic, as the federal government is attacked for its slow response to the humanitarian crisis which has left thousands of Canadian nationals and Afghan refugees stranded. “If this was our best, it just wasn’t good enough,” said Andrew Rusk, co-founder of Not Left Behind, an advocacy group pushing Ottawa to bring Afghan interpreters to Canada.
CBC News – Pandemic Delays Leave Refugee Applicants in Canada in Legal Limbo
The calm shores of Esquimalt Lagoon in B.C. feel like a world away from war-torn Afghanistan, where 18-year-old Arifa travelled from two years ago to continue her schooling. But now her study permit in Canada is set to expire within days and her claim for refugee status has gone unanswered for eight months, leaving her in a legal limbo that prevents her from continuing her studies, working or receiving healthcare.
Ottawa Citizen – ‘There Is Much That Remains Unknown’ About Canadians and Allies Trapped in Afghanistan
How many Canadians and allies have been left behind, stranded in Afghanistan? No one really knows. The speed with which the Taliban moved on Kabul, and the chaos that followed, means that Canadian officials do not have a clear picture of the people who want to come to Canada but are now likely trapped in Afghanistan. Daniel Mills, assistant deputy minister in Canada’s immigration ministry, said Canada had received 8,000 applications to come to the country. But no one knows how many of those 8,000 had escaped to neighbouring countries, or might have been airlifted out by allies.
Calgary Herald – ‘It’s My Final Request’: Afghan Families Plead with Canadians to Help Them as Flights End
As Taliban forces tighten their grip on Afghanistan, families trapped there are begging for help as the deadline to get on the last Canadian flights out of the country passed. With the U.S. refusing to extend that country’s exit date past Aug. 31, Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the U.S. must “be the last to leave” as the country controls the air bridge and needs to maintain control of the airport.
