swept to power in Afghanistan, after a chaotic withdrawal of Western troops and other personnel. The interpreter and his family fled soon after, but his work for Canada makes them all potential targets for reprisal from the new fundamentalist regime, should they ever return.
The Canadian government announced its special resettlement program for Afghans who had worked for Canada in July, 2021. It also created a humanitarian resettlement program for Afghans vulnerable to Taliban persecution, such as female leaders and LGBTQ people, and created a program for extended family members of former interpreters who had come to Canada under previous policies.
at the Kandahar Airfield, has been stranded for more than a year. He and his family have completed the biometric and medical checks Canada requires as part of the resettlement process.watched the Pakistani guesthouse where he and his family are staying fill up with Afghans and empty again, as others have made their way to Canada.
Julie Lafortune, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said resettlement applications are assessed individually, and that processing times vary. She added that timelines may be longer if IRCC has to wait for additional information related to background checks and medical examinations.
“I lost my hair and my mind because of this process,” he said. “My youngest son and daughter always ask me, ‘Papa, when will we fly? When will we have a home? When will I go to school?’”