Individuals and organizations working to bring vulnerable Afghans to Canada published an open letter Monday addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other high-ranking government officials urging swift action in the response to the growing crisis in Afghanistan.
The call to action, which was also sent to newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, asks Ottawa to add human resources to evacuate Afghans more quickly, to clearly spell out who is eligible for resettlement programs and to pressure the Taliban to provide safe passage for people out of Afghanistan.
"This urgent situation requires an immediate, multi-faceted, and focused response," the letter states.
Former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy is among the letter's signatories, and says this is a key moment for the Canadian government to evaluate the situation in Afghanistan, post-election.
"It's a chance to look at the file, realize there are urgent and risky things going on," he told CTV National News.
Canadian veterans who fought in Afghanistan also made an urgent plea to the government, asking for $5 million to keep safe houses open past a Friday closure deadline.
While thousands of Afghans await help to flee their country, those who have already made it to Canada are revealing some of the fear they faced while trying to escape.
"When the Taliban comes all of your dreams just fall in one night," Freshta Aslamzada, who worked as a journalist until the Taliban took control of Kabul, told CTV National News.
Aslamzada was able to escape after her name appeared in a list as a Taliban target. While trying to flee, a Canadian soldier grabbed her hand at the airport in Kabul and took her to safety.
She now lives in Calgary.
"There will not be any Taliban members who will beat me," she said.
In a statement to The Canadian Press, Global Affairs Canada said it is working with charitable organizations, the Veterans Transition Network and Journalists for Human Rights, "to protect vulnerable persons in Afghanistan including human rights defenders, women peacebuilders, former Canadian Armed Forces interpreters and locally engaged staff."
With files from The Canadian Press
