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Ottawa working to bring as many Afghans 'as possible' to Canada: Trudeau

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After the first flight of Afghan workers who helped the Canadian military during the war arrived on Canadian soil on Wednesday evening, the prime minister says the operation won't stop there.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trudeau said Ottawa will continue to bring back Afghan refugees – embassy workers, interpreters, and their families – who are fleeing Taliban retribution.

“We continue to work with Afghan interpreters and support staff around Afghanistan to bring home as many of them as possible,” he said.

“We were very pleased to see that first plane arriving yesterday afternoon. It was very emotional for all of us to see people who’ve been there to support Canada, to support Canadians come to their now homes, come to safety.”

The flight was filled mostly with embassy staff and their families, and there are questions now as to why the plane was only half full when so many are in danger there.

Earlier in the day, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino expanded on the news, reiterating that more planes carrying Afghans will continue to arrive in the coming days and weeks.

“We know there’s still much more work to be done and I know as more families arrive in the weeks ahead that Canadians are up to the task. Our communities will band around them, to give them the support they need to thrive in their new home,” he said.

He also noted that the logistics of the operation were “extraordinarily challenging” given the security factors at play.

“Operational security and the safety of the Afghans and of all Canadian staff are paramount concern. Over the course of this operation, we will not be able to share the details of our work on the ground,” he said.

“We are seized with the urgency of the situation in Afghanistan and we continue to work around the clock here and overseas to help Afghans who have put themselves at great risk to help Canada.”

The Taliban claims it now controls about 80 per cent of Afghanistan after the U.S. began extracting its military forces – a move U.S. President Joe Biden says will be completed by Aug. 31.

The first group of interpreters that assisted U.S. troops – approximately 220 people – arrived last week. All total, the U.S. has pledged to bring back about 2,500.

The Canadian government has also offered hope to potentially thousands of interpreters, locally engaged staff with the Canadian Embassy and their families who assisted the Canadian Armed Forces on their 10-year deployment.

Some former interpreters who arrived in Canada during two previous resettlement efforts are seeking clarity from the government about whether their families still in Afghanistan are eligible to apply for the current program.

A group of about 100 gathered on Parliament Hill on Tuesday with signs that read “Help: evacuate our people” and “Our work has jeopardized our family members,” to demand safe refuge for their loved ones.

Asked whether they’d be eligible on Thursday, Mendicino said their efforts are focused on extracting those who’ve had a “significant and enduring relationship” with the government of Canada in Afghanistan and their families.

He added that the government aims to be as inclusive as they can throughout the process, including in the definition of family or what constitutes a family member.

“The reason we’re trying to be inclusive is we believe we have a moral obligation to do right by those Afghans who for many years put themselves into harms way , put their own lives in jeopardy, as we were carrying out military operations.”

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