Afghanistan Committee on May 9th, 2022

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Could the officials advise us how many Afghans and their family members the department identified as having an enduring relationship with Canada. Could I have an answer to that first question?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Deputy Minister, do you want to respond?

[Bill Matthews]

Maybe I'll start, and the general can correct me if he has better information.

My understanding is that 3,800 were validated by National Defence and CAF, and forwarded to IRCC. Of that 3,800, 900 were accepted by IRCC, and that would imply that they were accepted along with any family members who met the criteria. That's the most current I have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

General Eyre, do you want to respond?

[Gen Wayne D. Eyre]

I have the same figures, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you.

Madam Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

In terms of the information that 900 were accepted by IRCC, can you advise us what that means?

[Bill Matthews]

I would assume it means—and we will have to confirm it—that it's then in the hands of IRCC to make contact and start the process.

Effectively, the role of DND would end once the validation is done and forwarded to IRCC.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

What happened to the other 3,100, then?

[Bill Matthews]

I would assume—but, again, it is a question for IRCC—that they are still being processed or assessed, or have not been accepted. That, again, is in the hands of IRCC.

The process would be that the Afghan individual would contact the department and look for validation. DND provides what they have and can confirm, and then it's over to IRCC.

Chief, do you want to add to that?

[Gen Wayne D. Eyre]

I have nothing further to add.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Sorry, I meant 2,900 earlier, not 3,100.

I have individuals who have contacted me who have received confirmation from your department as persons who have been verified as having an enduring relationship, and an email from your department indicating that they have been referred to IRCC since November. It appears that IRCC may not even have any verification that they have received this documentation.

We heard the same thing from GAC last week. GAC made referrals to IRCC, and then this week, I found out that officials are asking those individuals to ask GAC again for another referral.

I am quite concerned that these folks who have been identified by your department as having an enduring relationship with Canada and should be brought to safety in Canada are now just lost in the wind. I don't know what IRCC has done with it, and they don't even know whether or not IRCC has their file. They have no way of knowing what the decision is.

Are you concerned about that, and is the department doing anything to follow up with IRCC on what is happening with those files that have been left behind?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Deputy Minister Matthews.

[Bill Matthews]

All I can offer at this stage, Mr. Chair, is that once DND and CAF have done their validation, it goes into the IRCC process. I can't comment on how that process is or where a particular file is in their process.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you.

I am a bit distressed about this because what we heard from GAC it is that they've made their referral, and then, when applicants contact IRCC, IRCC is asking, “Can you ask GAC to make the referral again?” You have to wonder what's happened to the file.

Now I am wondering, on the referrals that have been made by your department, DND, whether or not those actually even made it to IRCC or have been lost within IRCC.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Deputy Minister, do you want to respond?

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

My question, then, to the department is: Will you undertake to follow up with IRCC, to make sure that the referrals you've made are files that are not lost in the system?

[Bill Matthews]

I think, Mr. Chair, that this is an IRCC process, and it's best left to IRCC to answer the question on how they are processing these.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you, Madam Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much.

I am quite distressed about that, I have to say, because on all accounts it seems to me that IRCC.... I don't know what's happening at IRCC with those files, and people have no way of knowing whether or not they are going to be able to have issuance of an invitation if IRCC is not following up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

IRCC is not here, Madam Kwan. Certainly if they were here—

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

All right, I'm going to ask a different question.

Since the evacuation, at the current time, is your department engaged with your counterparts in allied countries in an ongoing discussion on how we can continue to work together to bring Afghans to safety?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

General Eyre, go ahead, please.

[Gen Wayne D. Eyre]

Mr. Chair, no. This is a GAC lead, so we are in support of GAC if the request comes.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

To be clear, GAC has not asked you to engage.