(Ottawa) Afghan ambassador calls for Afghans who have received approval to move to Canada not to put themselves at risk of Taliban detention by applying for passports.
Posted at 3:51 p.m.
Ambassador Hassan Soroosh mentioned in an interview that Afghans have been subjected to house searches, extrajudicial executions and disappearances since the return to power of the Taliban regime.
According to him, Afghans who have helped Canada in the past are especially at risk of being detained or facing legal action if they apply for a passport to leave the country, even if they have already received permission to leave.
Soroosh is therefore urging Canada to adopt a more flexible approach to documentation for Afghans whose immigration application has already been approved. He also calls on the federal government to recognize applications sent to other countries, but which are no longer valid due to expiry times.
The Ambassador also hopes that Canada will never forget Afghanistan, since the country is facing a major humanitarian crisis, while many children are exposed to malnutrition.
He recalls that the Taliban are taking an increasingly tough approach towards women and minorities, and that they have used force to put an end to peaceful protests by women’s groups.