Reception of Afghan refugees | Quebec is dragging its feet

(Ottawa) Quebec has so far taken in a tiny number of the 17,375 Afghan refugees who managed to make their way to Canada after Kabul’s dramatic fall to the Taliban 12 months ago. In Ottawa, it is suggested that Quebec could do more.

Joel-Denis Bellavance
The Press

Mylene Crete
The Press

In fact, Quebec has welcomed less than 4% of Afghan refugees who managed to flee their country to reach Canada over the past 12 months, or 601 refugees. This is well below the demographic weight of Quebec within Canada, approximately 23%.

The low proportion of Afghan refugees received in Quebec was noted in briefing notes prepared by federal immigration officials for Minister Sean Fraser.

“Although Quebec actively supports Canada’s humanitarian traditions, under the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord, it has full responsibility for the selection of immigrants and the provision of settlement and resettlement services in the province. As of 1^er June 2022, the province has hosted approximately 520 Afghans, of whom 150 are Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) and 370 are Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs),” reads these briefing notes obtained by The Press under the Access to Information Act.

Two months later, the situation has changed little in Quebec, according to the most recent data. And in the notes to Minister Sean Fraser, it is suggested that Quebec could push more. It is noted in particular that Ottawa has lifted the refugee status determination requirement for certain private sponsorship applications, “in view of the current situation in Afghanistan, and as an exceptional measure”.

The Canada-Quebec Accord of 1991 gives greater powers to Quebec in matters of immigration. Thus, Quebec has a say in the selection of people who wish to settle in the province on a permanent or temporary basis, and can establish levels of immigration to Quebec, among other things.

In the case of refugees, Canada determines the criteria for admission to the country, but the immigration agreement gives Quebec an explicit right of veto over the admission of refugees. “Canada does not admit a refugee […] to Quebec that does not meet Quebec’s selection criteria,” reads article 19 of the agreement.

In Quebec, the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity, Immigration, Francisation and Integration, Jean Boulet, maintained that it would be possible to welcome more Afghan refugees if the federal immigration department was better organized.

“It is also important to note that although Quebec is ready to welcome more families, it seems that a large proportion of the Afghan refugees who have arrived to date have preferred to stay in the greater Toronto area, where members of their families or relatives were already settled, ”he also noted.

The long wait for interpreters

One thing is certain, the Afghan interpreters who helped the Canadian Armed Forces during their mission in Afghanistan must arm themselves with patience. This is the case of Zabiullah Ameri. The latter, who is now a refugee in the United States, has been trying to bring his parents and other members of his family to Canada since the fall of Kabul on August 15, 2021. He did receive an automatic email from the Ministry of ‘Immigration confirming receipt of the file, but since then it has been radio silence. He has been without news for a year.

Zabiullah Ameri somehow fell through the cracks. The immigration program for Afghans who have assisted the Government of Canada is limited to spouses and children.

Prior to working for the Canadian Armed Forces in Kabul in 2012-2013, he participated in combat missions as an interpreter for the United States Army. He therefore took advantage of the immigration program then offered by the United States to flee his country and now resides in California, where he works on one of the assembly lines of the Tesla factory. Bringing his family to the United States would take even longer, years, he said.

With the collaboration of William Leclerc, The Press