Afghanistan Committee on Feb. 14th, 2022

[Asma Faizi]

Thank you so much for your support of our organization.

In terms of women, as Mr. Amiri has indicated, food scarcity is one of the biggest problems. It's imperative to get aid inside Afghanistan through independent trusted NGOs and multilateral organizations. There are a lot of issues in terms of access to health. Many hospitals or health care facilities have shut down. Many doctors have left. It's difficult for people to access, particularly women, health care and education.

In terms of education, it's unclear whether or not higher education will be available, and what types of restrictions might be put on women in those terms. You pointed out rightly that for women who do not have a male in their household, given the restrictions the Taliban have put on the movement of women who do not have a male, somebody to escort them, it is significantly more challenging for them.

In terms of being able to meet those needs, we need to provide women with health care, even with mobile units. We need to put some pressure on the Taliban to ensure that women who do not have a male counterpart can have access to much needed resources.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you very much, Mrs. Zahid and Ms. Faizi.

We're now going to our next honourable member, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, for six minutes, please.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank all the witnesses for joining us for this extremely important study.

As we said, this study focuses on the humanitarian crisis and on how to help people in the short term and in the very near future.

Mr. Amiri, I was a bit overwhelmed by your remarks. I'd like to ask you the first question. Last week, I asked the witnesses to identify the priority for the recommendation in the committee's report.

Several priorities were identified. These included waiving red tape, such as the need to fill out forms on the Internet while people are in mortal danger; suspending the requirement to have refugee status in order to sponsor someone from within Canada; and maintaining a diplomatic presence on the ground, such as in Pakistan, to help Afghans come to Canada.

Do you support all these recommendations?

If there were a priority, what should it be?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Go ahead, Mr. Amiri.

[Aziz Amiri]

My sincere apologies. When the honourable member started, I did not turn on the English. I did not get half of the question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

I will give you 20 extra seconds, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, to quickly repeat it again.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Certainly. I hope that I can get my time back, Mr. Chair. Is that right? We'll start my six minutes now. Okay.

I want Mr. Amiri to hear me thank all the witnesses with us today.

Mr. Amiri, this study is extremely important because we want to focus on the humanitarian crisis in order to determine how to help people immediately and in the short term.

I was overwhelmed by your remarks. I'll go back to the question that I wanted to ask you last week. I asked the witnesses to identify the priority for the recommendations in the committee's report.

Several priorities were identified. These included waiving red tape, such as the need to fill out forms on the Internet while people are in mortal danger, which makes no sense; suspending the requirement to have refugee status in order to sponsor someone from within Canada; and maintaining a diplomatic presence on the ground, such as in Pakistan, to help Afghans come to Canada.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on these recommendations. I'd also like to know your priority with respect to the committee's recommendations in its report.

[Aziz Amiri]

Thank you very much for your question.

First of all, in our view the top priority is that Canada should have a special envoy for Afghanistan to coordinate humanitarian or refugee cases. This is very important because right now the focus is all over and one hand doesn't know what's happening with the other hand. That's number one.

In our view, number two is transferring funds to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, we heard that the Biden administration is getting half of the money, which are deposits that belong to actual people. We don't want to make this a political statement, but what they are doing is nonsense.

We need funds to go through reliable sources, such as the United Nations and big NGOs, to Afghanistan. That could be distributed as cash or as food. It wouldn't go through the current government there.

That is on the humanitarian side.

As for the refugees, one thing we've been asking for the last six months now is about the requirement of the recognition of the United Nations or UNHCR. This is really tough. This is very difficult. We would like this to be abolished or waived for now. As long as any Afghan is outside, we know that he is in danger. To require him to go and get a United Nations card is very difficult.

That's another requirement that the previous witnesses suggested. We strongly believe it is the case and that should be waived.

Thank you.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Amiri.

I'd now like to turn to our friends at the Canadian Red Cross.

In recent weeks, several witnesses suggested that we make changes to the Criminal Code so that NGOs could operate in Afghanistan without fear of being accused of funding terrorism.

Some suggested that the Canadian government commit, through a motion, to not prosecuting NGOs. As a result, we wouldn't need to make any changes to the Criminal Code. However, I think that this is getting in your way.

What's your opinion on this?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

We'll go to Ms. Avis and Ms. See for the answer, please.

[Amy Avis]

Thank you.

I'll start and then I'll turn it over to my colleague, Erica.

You're exactly right. The fear of the legislation and how it will be interpreted is having a chilling effect. Although we don't really read in any expressed impermissibility in the legislation, I think what we're looking for is the confidence that we can take it forward and not be reprimanded for providing humanitarian assistance.

In the interim, pre-budget submissions and MOUs have been floated. There's a multitude of solutions, but the thing that would be the most helpful for us is some sort of expressed permissibility with regard to the ability to take humanitarian action.

I'll turn it over to my colleague, Erica, if she'd like to complement that.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Members from all parties sit on the committee.

Given what you just said, tomorrow morning, I could table a motion in the House of Commons asking for unanimous consent so that the government promises not to prosecute NGOs in relation to their work on the ground. I know that a court of justice wouldn't necessarily consider this evidence. However, if this were done quickly, you could take action on the ground.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you very much, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

The time is up. I was very generous.

We will move to the next honourable member.

Madam Kwan, you have six minutes.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of the witnesses for their presentations. As well, thank you for the ongoing advocacy and work that you do.

I'd like to first ask Ms. Faizi a question.

With respect to resettlement support and getting people to safety, the reality is that the current streams cannot be applied to many people. Many people are still within Afghanistan. The stream that the government has provided is that they need to be in a third country.

In the face of this situation, what specific recommendation do you have for the government so that we can ensure that people who are in Afghanistan would be able to access resettlement supports?

[Asma Faizi]

We've been asking for this to ensure that they open up the ability of Afghans from inside Afghanistan to seek resettlement. There was a short window where they had opened it, and then it was unclear as to why, but they shut it out. It's very important, and I can give an example.

Just in the last couple of weeks, I've had a number of Canadian organizations that want to help some women who are trapped inside Afghanistan and are in hiding. They were calling me to ask what were their options. Unfortunately, for the pathways that are open for those kinds of cases, they need to be outside of the country.

Canada needs to enable that once again, to allow those from inside Afghanistan to be able to apply for the resettlement program.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

You said there was a short window. Do you recall when that window was?

[Asma Faizi]

I believe it was in October. There was a two-week window when we were informed they were going to allow the vulnerable Afghans to seek resettlement, and then a couple of weeks later, we found out that it was no longer available.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I see. Did you have any information as to how, even in that two-week window, people were able to access that initiative?

[Asma Faizi]

My understanding was that the government had partnered with some organizations on the ground that were going to be referral organizations. I believe one was Front Line Defenders, and I believe there was another organization. They were designated as referral agencies that would identify those in need and then enable them to be resettled in Canada.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

One of the issues raised by Mr. Amiri was that the requirement of the UNHCR refugee determination is an impossible thing for people to attain. Have you called on the government to waive this requirement?

[Asma Faizi]

Yes. All of our recommendations to the government so far have asked for the waiver of that recognition status. It is a huge barrier. There are other examples. We get calls every day because of our connections, the fact that we've been working in this area for a long time and the fact that we're an Afghan organization.

We get multiple calls from people who want to be able to sponsor somebody through the G5, the groups of five, and you need to be recognized by the UNHCR or the host country. While we understand that the UN is operating in some of these third countries, they have a huge backlog, and they're not processing, so it's a huge barrier for a lot of people.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Would you be able to table with the committee all of the recommendations you've made to the government so that we have a record of that and their responses to you to date?

[Asma Faizi]

Yes.