Canada is open to hosting Afgan refugees as the crisis is looming in Kabul

While the tension in Kabul after the Taliban occupation seems to settle, Canada is still accepting weekly Afgan immigrants. Newly arrived immigrants all over Canada are starting a new life in Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia. It is a brave attempt on their part to heal from all the pain and distress stemming from the Taliban’s invasion.

 

Canada has been setting up funding and donations destined to help the immigrants that are hoping for a fresh start on more stable ground with ample options and free healthcare and education.

 

The Refugee Readiness Plan is a one-time investment especially tallied for the B.C. communities. They are already welcoming and are getting ready to welcome more than 40.000 Afgan refugees, as per the federal government’s plan which means that all over Canada communities are getting ready to prepare for thousands of families for the next coming months.

 

The newcomers will be having access to the community level:

 

  • education,
  • career guidance,
  • trauma counselling, and
  • mental health supports.

 

Canada appoints new Immigration Minister Sean Fraser

 

Late October 2021, Sean Fraser, one of the most well-known Liberal advocates of the immigration policy is appointed the new Immigration Minister. Exactly five years before his appointment Fraser was advocating to accept more immigrants to Atlantic Canada.

 

Fraser taking over now has to deal with the backlog of applications that may have slowed down during the first months of a pandemic but now are back on full track trying not only to keep up with the resettlement of approximately 40.000 Afgan refugees, with already 7.300 additional applications being examined but also the rest of the applications for Temporary and Permanent Residencies. Earlier this month, Liberals promised in their election platform to reduce the process times to under 12 months while improving the time for the applications backlog dating before the pandemic regarding family reunification introducing the online applications. They will be also facilitating the pathway for foreign nationals that are already in Canada for foreign temporary workers and former international students through the Express Entry points system while Fraser wishes to reinforce the abolishment of application fees.

 

 

 

Eleni Kyriakou

Eleni is a journalist and analyst at Parliament Magazine focusing on European News and current affairs. She worked as Press and Communication Office – Greek Embassy in Lisbon and Quattro Books Publications, Canada. She is Multilingual with a good grip of cultures, eye in detail, communicative, effective. She holds Master in degree from York University.