Canada, which has promised to welcome 40,300 Afghan refugees by December 2021, has already received 11,500. This situation is causing extreme stress for some families who have been trying to reunite since the United States left the country in August 2021.
This is the case of the family of Hadis Afghanfar, 10 years old. He was able to board a plane at Kabul airport eight months ago. He eventually landed in Toronto, where he lived with his grandparents. His parents were less fortunate and are still in Afghanistan.
I love my parents so much, I want them hereHadith told CBC News.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ensures that certain requests from Afghan refugees are treated as a priority and the purpose of receiving a total of 40,300 of them has not changed.
However, according to the immigration consultant hired by the family, it is impossible to have an update on the application status of the parents of the small Hadith.
A traumatic experience
Hadith last saw his parents as they weaved in crowds at Kabul International Airport in August 2021 to escape Afghanistan as the Taliban took over, said his step-grandfather Mohad Asef Faqiri.
Hadith, his two younger brothers, his grandparents and his aunt were among the thousands of people trying to escape by wind. Mr. Faqiri said they spent two nights sitting on floors covered with garbage and urine and the sound of gunfire echoed around them.
Hadith’s mother, who was nine months pregnant, had to leave the airport with her husband and other children because they feared for their safety. Hadis, his aunt and his grandparents finally boarded the plane and escaped.
Hadith’s parents were able to cross the border into Pakistan in January. Since then they have been trying to come with their son to Canada.
Since then, Hadis has enrolled in school and made friends, said Mr. Faqiri, but she always misses her parents.
Mr Faqiri fears that the meager funds from which Hadith’s parents fled to Pakistan will run out, especially now that they have an eight -month -old baby to feed.
They have nothing to eat therehe said.
Mr. is also worried. Faqiri kay Hadith. He felt like he was alone. He was a bit stressed and depressed. He worries a lot about his family. […] He needs his parents. He needs their romance.
Automatic responses
Kimia Moshiri, an immigration consultant, is helping the family reunite in the country. He claims all members have completed mandatory paperwork, which includes mandatory fingerprints and retinal scans. He added that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada had told him the application was on hold.
No matter how many times we follow up with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or call, we only receive automated responseshe says.
” No one really should be responsible. “
Ms Moshiri said the family had contacted MPP Doly Begum and MP Bill Blair. They represent the ride to Scarborough South West, where Hadith and his grandparents live. He said they were promised letters of support, but they were not received.
In a statement to CBC Toronto, Ms. Begum take the necessary steps before sending a letter to the family’s legal representative.
Our social worker makes sure they get the letter as soon as possible said Mayeesha Chowdhury, a spokesperson for Ms Begum.
For his part, a spokesman for Mr. Blair’s office said working with family representatives on the next steps of their case.
This is a very difficult time for the family and we are committed to doing everything we can to support them.reads an email statement from his office.
Fastif possible
One of the policies of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada since the Taliban took over has been to prioritize visa applications for Afghans with close family in Canada. But since August last year, only 11,500 Afghans have arrived in Canada, fewer than the 40,300 the federal government has promised to accept.
Moshiri said a representative from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told him the application would be processed quickly, as Hadith was a minor.
In an emailed statement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada would not provide details about Hadith’s family, but said it promised to provide protection to 40,300 Afghans not weakened.
Arrival times are based on the current location of the individual or family and the ability to process their requests accordinglyread the statement.
If we can move people quickly, we will, while making sure that when people come to Canada, they have access to a place of safety and that they reach communities with the capacity to help them join the success.
When the federal government announced its intention to accept 40,300 Afghan refugees, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said it could take two years to reach that number.
With information from CBC News
Source: Radio-Canada
