From the CBC:
“Canada says it knows of
hundreds of citizens and permanent residents left in Afghanistan”
As the Taliban declared victory
this morning, the federal government said roughly 1,250 Canadian citizens,
permanent residents and family members remain in Afghanistan. Canada was part
of a coalition airlifting those seeking refuge out of the country as the
Taliban seized control of Kabul. The government said it was able to get 3,700
people out of Afghanistan, but last week couldn't answer how many citizens were
stranded.
On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs
Minister Marc Garneau said the government is now aware of 1,250 Canadian
citizens, permanent residents and their families still in Afghanistan. The
government also announced it has reached an agreement with the U.S. to
"co-operate on the safe passage of Afghan nationals out of
Afghanistan" and will accept 5,000 Afghan refugees who were evacuated by
the U.S.
Immigration Minister Marco
Mendicino said Canada and its allies have received word from the Taliban that
those with proper documentation can leave the country, "Over the weekend,
Canada and its allies received assurances from the Taliban that Afghan citizens
with travel authorization from other countries would be allowed to safely leave
Afghanistan," he said. "We have a clear commitment from the Taliban,
and we are going to hold them to it. "Earlier Tuesday morning, the Taliban
marched into Kabul's international airport, hours after the final U.S. troop
withdrawal that ended the U.S.'s longest war. "Afghanistan is finally
free," Hekmatullah Wasiq, a top Taliban official, told The Associated
Press on the tarmac. "The military and civilian side [of the airport] are
with us and in control. Hopefully, we will be announcing our cabinet.
Everything is peaceful. Everything is safe."
Garneau urged those still in the
country to stay put while coalition officials work to figure next steps. He
said he's speaking with his counterpart in Pakistan about processing refugees
crossing into that country. Last week, as the airlift mission wrapped, the
government said visas issued to those Afghans eligible to come to Canada will
remain valid even if they haven't left the country yet. Mendicino said his
department is working to make sure the language on the documents is updated so
people can leave the country. The Liberals have faced mounting criticism of
their government's response to the crisis on the campaign trail so far with
both Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh suggesting
they responded too late.
^ 1,250 Canadian Citizens
abandoned by Trudeau. Those men, women and children are now at the hands of
Terrorists (ISIS and the Taliban.) ^
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mendicino-garneau-afghanistan-withdraw-1.6159352
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