Parliamentary Committee Notes: Comparisons of Allies' Evacuation Policies
On July 23, 2021, IRCC announced a Special Immigration Program focused on Afghans who provided critical support to Canada's mission to Afghanistan. This included but was not limited to Afghan interpreters, embassy staff and their families.
On August 15, the Government of Canada announced that it had temporarily suspended diplomatic operations in Kabul. All Canadian and Afghan staff and their families were successfully evacuated and are now safely in Canada.
Many of the likeminded similarly launched immigration programs to evacuate priority populations – usually mission staff or close contacts.
The Government of Canada has more recently made a public commitment to resettle a total of 40,000 vulnerable Afghan nationals, which is one of the highest in the world, including amongst like-minded partners.
No like-minded countries have expressed a large scale plan at this time to support Afghans who remain in Afghanistan and are generally only able to process applications from eligible Afghans who are able to leave on their own and present themselves for processing elsewhere.
Supporting facts and figures
A comparison of policies pursued by Canada and our likeminded to evacuate staff and Afghans includes:
Canada
Has evacuated over 3,700 persons, including Afghan national individuals who had a significant or enduring relationship the Government of Canada, PRs, Canadian citizens. IRCC applicants were also evacuated on flights from other countries where possible. A total of 6,807 Afghan nationals have so far been resettled to Canada, including:
4,100 individuals under the Afghan Special Immigration Measures.
Made a public commitment to resettle 40,000 Afghans.
The UK
Evacuated approximately 15,000 individuals (British nationals, locally employed staff, those who assisted UK armed forces). Of these, approximately 8,000 were under the UK's Afghan Relocation Assistance Policy (ARAP).
Has committed to 20,000 refugees, with 5,000 in first year.
Australia
Evacuated 4,100 individuals from Kabul (citizens, PR, Afghan national locally engaged staff; those who supported Australian government and their families).
Announced on August 18th that an initial 3,000 existing humanitarian spaces will be allocated to Afghan nationals within Australia's 13,750 annual program, noting that this initial allocation may increase further over the course of the year.
New Zealand
Evacuated 387 people by NZ and Australian defence forces. This included NZ citizens (and family members), permanent residents (and family members) and Afghan nationals (and family members) who had worked with NZ agencies in Afghanistan.
Has made an unspecified allocation of spaces to Afghans within an existing refugee quota of 1,500.
The EU
Has committed to support Member States in resettling approximately 38,000 as part of a global resettlement target of 60,000.
France: 2,600 arrived
Germany: 5,400 arrived. A further approx. 20K persons have received approval in principle to receive a humanitarian visa for Germany, but have not yet travelled due to logistical reasons.
15 EU Member States will participate in the 38K scheme.
France is included in this list with a commitment of 2,500.
Germany's reported commitment of 25K towards the EU commitment of 40K Afghans does not refer to pledges made by Germany to the UNHCR and does not include the 5,400 Afghans who have already arrived. Note: Afghans in Germany obtain temporary residence on the basis of a humanitarian visa, rather than refugee status – 3 months initially, then up to 3 years if approved within Germany
The United States
Has evacuated approximately 74,000 Afghans to the U.S. which includes 40% Special Immigration Visas + family members (SIV) who worked for or on behalf of U.S. Government (includes family members of US Citizens and PRs, journalists, human rights activities, humanitarian/dev workers or former AFG government).
Has provided funding to support resettlement for up to 95,000 for US FY2022.
Background
On July 23, 2021, IRCC announced a Special Immigration Program focused on Afghans who provided critical support to Canada's mission to Afghanistan. This included but was not limited to Afghan interpreters, embassy staff and their families. All Canadian and Afghan staff and their families were successfully evacuated and are now safely in Canada.
On August 13, 2021, IRCC announced a humanitarian program to resettle Afghan refugees with a focus on women leaders, human rights defenders, persecuted religious and ethnic minorities, LGBTI individuals, journalists and people who helped Canadian journalists, and extended family members of previously resettled interpreters. Overall, Canada has committed to resettling up to 40,000 Afghan refugees under these programs
Many of the likeminded similarly launched immigration programs to evacuate priority populations – usually mission staff or close contacts. Priority Afghan populations differ between countries. However, there is a near universal focus on locally engaged embassy staff and others who have provided support—or might be perceived to have provided support—to the respective countries, often including their family members. Many of our like-minded countries have a shared focus on women leaders and human rights advocates, persecuted religious minorities and LGBTI individuals.
Canada's public commitment to resettle 40,000 vulnerable Afghan nationals is one of the highest in the world, including amongst like-minded partners. No like-minded countries have shared a large scale plan at this time to support Afghans who remain in Afghanistan and are generally only able to process applications from eligible Afghans who are able to leave on their own and present themselves for processing elsewhere.
For Canada and its likeminded, the most difficult hurdles in getting people out of Afghanistan remain the lack of safe, secure and reliable routes out of the country, the absence of stable conditions and ever-changing circumstances around what exit documentation is required at check-points and international crossings into third countries.
Annex A – Links and Resources
Germany
Germany and Afghanistan: Bilateral relations - Federal Foreign Office (auswaertiges-amt.de)
Action Plan for Afghanistan - Federal Foreign Office (auswaertiges-amt.de)
United Kingdom
Oral statement on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
United States
Afghanistan Inquiries - United States Department of State
France
Japan
Norway
Information for Norwegian citizens in Afghanistan - regjeringen.no
Netherlands
I am in Afghanistan and I want to leave the country. What can I do? | Netherlandsworldwide.nl
Information for Afghan interpreters | Netherlandsworldwide.nl
EU
Evacuation of Afghan nationals to EU Member States | Think Tank | European Parliament (europa.eu)
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