Question Period Note: Afghan Resettlement—CBSA Efforts

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, creating a complex political, security and humanitarian crisis. In response, the Government of Canada has announced that 40,000 eligible Afghan refugees will be accepted under three programs by March 2023. Canada’s unprecedented and accelerated efforts under the special immigration measures program, Operation Safe Haven and the Humanitarian Program has led to the evacuation of thousands of Afghan nationals under exceptional circumstances, many of whom have already arrived in Canada.

• The CBSA is proud to support the government’s humanitarian efforts on the resettlement of Afghan nationals in Canada.

• The CBSA, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and other partners are conducting security screenings and full biometric enrollment overseas.

• It is also worth noting that all Afghans arriving through this special program will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival, and may undergo a mandatory quarantine for 14 days should they not be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Security screening measures taken:
• The Agency applies a pre-border, at-border and post-border security screening approach to Afghans entering the country under this initiative.

• The CBSA has mobilized liaison officers overseas to support this work and we can confirm that all risk assessments and security screening steps are being performed as needed.

Inadmissibility cases:

• If serious inadmissibility concerns are found, the CBSA can proceed with immigration enforcement. The process is as follows:

o If the individual continues to seek to enter Canada, the CBSA would recommend inadmissibility to IRCC.

o If IRCC determines the foreign national is inadmissible to Canada, the person’s application for entry into Canada is refused. The case would then go to an admissibility hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).

o If the IRB also finds the person is inadmissible, a removal order would be issued. The person would have the standard option for applying to the court to seek a judicial review of the application and a pre-removal risk assessment, if eligible.

o Immigration law provides specific processes with respect to people who have protection as refugees.

On July 22, 2021, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced special immigration measures for Afghanistan nationals who are at risk due to their work supporting Canadian missions in Afghanistan.

The Government of Canada has announced that 40,000 eligible Afghan refugees will be accepted under three programs by March 2023.

There are three measures in the special immigration measures program. The first facilitates the resettlement of the families of locally engaged staff at Canada’s embassy in Afghanistan. IRCC has indicated that 300 people are covered by this measure.

The second measure facilitates the resettlement of former locally engaged staff, interpreters, drivers, and others with a “significant and/or enduring” relationship to the Government of Canada and their families, referred to IRCC by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Department of National Defence (DND). IRCC indicated 5,000 individuals are covered by this special measure.

The final special immigration measure is a two-year humanitarian resettlement strategy, ending December 31, 2023, for 15,000 Afghan nationals who are fleeing Afghanistan to third-party countries. It will include:
• 5,000 individuals identified through private sponsorships;
• 2,000 individuals for family reunification encompassing immediate family of individuals already in Canada and extended family members of previously assisted interpreters; and
• 8,000 government-assisted refugees.

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