Ottawa urged to pressure Pakistan to stop deporting Afghans and speed up refugee claims

The federal Liberal government is facing calls to intervene amid reports that Pakistan is preparing to arrest and expel Afghan refugees, many of whom are hoping to escape to Canada.

The liberal government promised in August 2021 to resettle 40,000 Afghans who fled their country to escape the Taliban.

That includes thousands of Afghans with connections to Canada, including former interpreters who served with the Canadian Armed Forces.

But only about 27,000 Afghan refugees have reached Canada more than a year later, with thousands waiting in Pakistan to find out when they can leave.

Now there are fears that Pakistan will start rounding up and deporting Afghans who have sought temporary refuge, including hundreds already cleared to come to Canada, by the end of the month.

The Pakistani government has set a December 31 deadline for foreigners without visas, or with expired visas, to leave. If not, they risk being arrested and deported.

The fear is that if they are returned, they will face persecution or death at the hands of the Taliban.

“This threat will exacerbate what is already one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” said Wendy Cukier of Lifeline Afghanistan, an organization that has been helping bring Afghan refugees to Canada.

“Canada must use all the means at its disposal ⁠ — diplomacy, humanitarian aid, even trade negotiations and economic partnerships ⁠ — to persuade Pakistan to work with Canada to resolve this issue.”

The Canadian government has received assurances from Pakistan that it will not arrest or deport Afghans after the December 31 deadline, Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Dubois said in a statement on Friday.

“While there have been concerns that some Afghan refugees in Pakistan may be returned to Afghanistan or imprisoned after the expiration of this waiver on December 31, the Pakistani government has indicated that the only enforcement action that could be taken against foreigners Overstaying their visas will be subject to reimposition of fines and potentially being blacklisted from returning to Pakistan,” he said.

“Canada appreciates the Pakistani government’s continued efforts to facilitate the safe passage of Afghan refugees bound for Canada,” Dubois added.

“We continue to advocate for simplified procedures and strengthened protections for vulnerable Afghans and appreciate Pakistan’s support in helping to ensure safe passage routes.”

But that’s cold comfort to NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan, who says she has been warning the government about the looming deadline since Pakistan’s government first announced its plan in October.

Kwan pointed to numerous reports in recent weeks of Pakistani authorities checking foreigners’ visas and making arrests as proof of the threat.

“The situation on the ground for people trying to escape persecution by the Taliban is that this is not reassuring at all,” he said. “The reality is that they live in fear every day.”

Kwan said she personally received text messages about Pakistani police raiding a hotel where Afghan refugees were staying.

“And the only way they tell me that people can’t be arrested in that process is by paying big bribes,” he said.

“The reality is that people have been hiding and they haven’t been working. They really don’t have the resources to be able to pay these huge bribes. That’s what’s happening to people.”

The federal government has been repeatedly criticized for the pace of its work to bring Afghan refugees to Canada, facing anger and frustration over the delays and what many see as a lack of urgency.

Kwan echoed Cukier’s call for the government to exert all possible pressure on Pakistan not to act on its December 31 deadline, and for Ottawa to speed up resettlement efforts.

“There are people who served Canada, they are the loved ones of people who risked their lives serving Canada, and now they are being aggressively targeted by the Taliban,” he said.

“So the government must keep its promise to bring these Afghans to safety.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 23, 2022.