Evidence of meeting #11 for Afghanistan in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was officials.
A video is available from Parliament.
Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Like you pointed out, we have noted the growing number of attacks by the Islamic State Khorasan Province, in particular. Some of those attacks have been claimed by them. Some, we think, have been perpetrated by them. Many of them, as you point out, were targeted against minority groups, particularly the Hazara, but not only the Hazara.
It is definitely an issue we are noticing an uptick on. Even just this weekend, in advance of Eid, over 50 people were killed in a mosque in Kabul. It is a very serious matter.
Maybe I can pass the floor to Paul Thoppil.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
The question is mainly about recognizing persecuted groups.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, you can hear from Mr. Thoppil for a few seconds.
Paul Thoppil Assistant Deputy Minister, Asia Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Mr. Chair, thank you for the question.
We are in discussions with our international law colleagues at the ministry with regard to that. It's taking some time just to get the jurisprudence in terms of the way forward, but it is definitely top of mind. We have been tracking for some time the persecution impact, particularly on the Hazara community but, quite frankly as my colleague has noted, broadly ethnic communities at large in Afghanistan. While the Hazaras have been the most noteworthy, it's not just them.
That's why David Sproule, together with like-minded special envoys, has been trying to encourage the Taliban to foster a way forward on inclusive governance that respects what is a country that is significantly diverse in terms of ethnicities, notwithstanding the fact that the Taliban, based on its Pashtun background, is the dominant. As we've seen through the ages, there are more than just Pashtuns in this country.
For a sustainable country going forward, we need a way forward for governance whereby all the ethnic minorities see themselves as part of that governance decision-making. That's what we are advocating for through the UN, through David and together, as the minister said, with many other countries.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Perfect.
I just want to point out that this is really a very important request from the Hazara community here in the country. There should be a follow-up.
Ms. Termorshuizen, has your department received lists of people taken in by refugee networks led by Canadian organizations?
Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Maybe I'll pass that question over to Paul Thoppil.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Asia Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
As the minister noted, since the fall of Kabul in that very fluid situation, Global Affairs stepped up to be a focal point in what was a dramatic increase in the volume of inquiries. We have received over one million inquiries through our intake mailbox, with more coming in still to this day.
What we have is a due diligence protocol within the department that triages them and ensures that the bona fides of that request related to whether they have a significant and/or enduring relationship to the Government of Canada under the special immigration measures has been achieved. Once we have done that assessment, we turn it over to IRCC for processing.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you.
Canada has a policy on international aid that is, by and large, very feminist. I think that's where the emphasis lies. In fact, the United States announced the cancellation of talks with the Taliban in Doha at the end of March because of the ban on girls' education in schools.
What are we currently doing about the feminist component of international aid in Afghanistan?
What is the department doing, what is Canada doing in this regard?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you. Your time is up.
Please answer briefly, Ms. Termorshuizen.
Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
As the minister said, this is something we're engaged intensively in with allies, and with the Taliban through our representative in Doha. I would also say that we're working very hard with humanitarian partners to ensure that our humanitarian assistance is actually getting to the most vulnerable, including some of the minorities you mentioned, but also women and girls.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.
I will now go to Madame Kwan for six minutes.
Please go ahead.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the officials.
In Mr. Thoppil's last appearance at this committee, he indicated that things were going well with Pakistan, in terms of bringing Afghans to safety. Then things changed and evolved, but were still kind of going.
Can officials clarify for me whether Pakistan is now refusing to recognize Canada's documents, including the single journey travel document or letter of acceptance from IRCC and G number, which was something they had done previously?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Asia Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Mr. Chair, we have no defined sustainable protocol with Pakistan at this juncture. It's ad hoc-ish.
What we're trying to do, through our head of mission in Islamabad, is engage constantly with the Government of Pakistan to see whether they would re-engage in a sustainable protocol at the Torkham border gate and allow single travel documents to be accepted. This is a concern for Pakistan right now, in part because they had, as you know, millions of refugees already, pre-fall. They stopped in November, as the minister said, because they are worried about continuing to be a draw for those who have received documentation from Canada or like-minded countries...for more Afghans to come over their border.
That's why, from Pakistan's perspective, it's a challenging situation—responding to many countries' requests to accept documentation from Afghans who would like to cross the border.
NDP
Assistant Deputy Minister, Asia Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
As the minister said, the deputy minister went to have high-level bilateral consultations in the late fall, whereby these issues were put forward. I can't tell you, at this juncture, when our high commissioner last had an interaction with the Pakistan government, but Global Affairs headquarters has charged her to make these types of issues the top priority.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
If officials could table documentation with this committee advising us on when that last conversation took place and when they expect the next conversation will continue the discussion, that would be much appreciated. Just give us a sort of progress update, if you will, since November, because I hope that work has been done since November. It sounds as if it has, but getting that update would be much appreciated.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Asia Pacific, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
We would be pleased to do so.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you so much.
Similarly, on the question of biometrics and allied countries, the minister indicated that there's been ongoing discussion with respect to that.
When was the last discussion with allied countries regarding them assisting Canada in collecting biometrics in Afghanistan or operating mobile offices?