War in Ukraine | Abandoned twice by Canada in conflict zone

Canada had promised to help, twice. Instead, he left him to his fate in a war zone, twice. After narrowly escaping the Taliban advance in Afghanistan, former Canadian Army interpreter Jawed Haqmal now finds himself stranded in Kiev, in the midst of the Russian invasion, with his pregnant wife, children and family. enlarged.

Vincent Larouche
The Press

“I fled a war, and now I am caught up in a new war,” he said in a telephone interview with The Press live from Ukraine on Friday.

“It’s the same situation as in Afghanistan, with explosions, sirens, blocked roads, people crying and running in the street,” he said, surrounded by his relatives.

Of Afghan origin, Jawed Haqmal worked as an interpreter from 2009 to 2012, mainly with the Canadian army, in the Kandahar region. He was serving Canada when members of the Royal 22^and Régiment de Valcartier attacked the Taliban in fierce fighting, when their vehicles jumped on improvised explosive devices at bends in country roads, when they searched buildings for caches of weapons, when they tried to win the hearts of the population by building roads or schools.

He wore the Canadian uniform himself and knew that if religious fundamentalists got their hands on him, he risked death. When the Taliban took over Kabul last summer, he got papers from Ottawa to flee to Canada with his family: seven adults, five children. But he could not reach the airport, coming up against Taliban checkpoints or dense crowds of panicked fugitives who blocked the way.

Rescued by Ukrainians

Canada had members of its special forces at Kabul airport, but refused to take them out into town to pick up the interpreters and their families. A journalist from Globe and Mailwhich helped several interpreters who worked with Canadian media in Afghanistan, got help from Ukraine, which sent its own soldiers on a mission to the Afghan capital to rescue the group and bring it back to the airport. The Press recounted the mission last September 3.

Jawed Haqmal and his family settled at 11 in three small rooms of a hotel in Kiev paid for by the Globe and Mail. It was to be a brief stay, the time to obtain the necessary papers to continue their journey to Canada and start a new life there, in recognition of the services rendered.

That’s when the Canadian bureaucracy came into the picture. A month, then two, then six passed. The case was still under review by officials. In the beginning, Canadian soldiers serving in Ukraine would bring food for the family to the hotel. Then that help ended. Canada was not sending anything, according to Mr. Haqmal.

“They didn’t provide a single dollar! I told them, “If you want us to stay here that long waiting for your documents, give us something.” But we have nothing. I am a beggar, I beg money from my friends,” he laments.

For six months, they have been stuck in this hotel, without being able to work, go to school, or even move freely in town.

“It’s very, very frustrating. Children cry all the time. They’re going crazy, staying in the hotel room all day. They don’t understand what we’re doing here,” he said.

Like in Afghanistan

The situation is worse since war broke out in Ukraine. Her family believed they were done with the sound of guns when they fled the Taliban. But the Russian invasion plunged her back into a past she would rather forget. “It’s the same situation as in Afghanistan, with explosions, alarms, blocked roads, people crying and running in the streets,” Haqmal said.

He says he wrote about 100 emails to Canadian authorities over the past month as the threat of an invasion loomed. On Friday, he finally received an answer explaining to him that a new interview in a Canadian embassy was necessary in order to clarify his file. Except that the Canadian Embassy in Kiev is closed because of the war. Officials suggested that he try to travel to another country to continue his process.

What’s worse, he says, is that he can’t make a refugee claim in another country while his original claim is still being considered in Canada. “If they rejected me, at least I could try to seek asylum elsewhere,” he says.

Complex case

On Friday, a spokeswoman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assured The Press that the officials were processing this file, and the other Afghan interpreter files, as quickly as possible. Because there would be other Afghans who found themselves stuck in Ukraine on their way to Canada after the fall of Kabul.

“IRCC is aware of the complex cases of Afghan citizens seeking to resettle in Canada, but who are currently in Ukraine. The Department has simplified the application process for applicants from Afghanistan and is processing these cases as quickly as possible,” said spokesperson Julie Lafortune.

“We cannot comment on individual cases, but be aware that a full eligibility assessment – ​​including a security check – must be completed before a final decision can be made on an application. . Some cases are complex and the screening stage may take longer to ensure a rigorous assessment,” she says.