Afghanistan Committee on Feb. 28th, 2022

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Thank you so much, Chair.

Thank you to both our witnesses for being with us this evening.

I listened to the previous panel and to this one, and I think it's important to remember that Canada's combat operations ended in 2011, and in 2014 we actually left Afghanistan. When we were trying to get these people out of the country we didn't have a footprint in Afghanistan, so we had to rely on other countries as we were moving forward.

The Government of Canada is dealing with the Taliban in Afghanistan, so we're not dealing with a friendly government; we're dealing with the Taliban, who, as you were mentioning, target individuals who were helpful to Canada.

Our previous witnesses talked about offering services to do biometrics in-country, but we don't even know—and I didn't have a chance to ask them questions—whether the safety and security of a company going in to do biometrics would even be guaranteed by the Taliban. It's such an unknown, and you folks know far better than I do the type of enemy we're dealing with that is running the government in Afghanistan.

It's just tragic that we are here, within a year, dealing with a crisis in Afghanistan and now dealing with a crisis in Ukraine. Canadians have always been so incredibly generous in welcoming refugees into our country, whether it's Vietnamese boat people or Syrian refugees—which happened since I've been elected—but I think we need to be careful when we're comparing Ukraine to Afghanistan, because Ukrainians can actually leave their country. Ukrainians can go to countries like Poland and have their biometrics done there, whereas my understanding is that Pakistan now requires exit visas. In the past, they would accept a letter from the Government of Canada saying, yes, this person was an interpreter, we will gladly bring them into Pakistan and then you can have them come to your country.

I think we need to be really careful. I'm not saying one crisis is better than the other, because both are absolutely horrific. However, we need to be careful that we're looking at how we can get folks who are still in Afghanistan into Canada, given the very serious constraints we're faced with, with a hostile government in power and with the inability to get those people to a friendly third country like we're seeing in Ukraine.

Mr. Peddle, you've worked with True Patriot Love, I believe, to bring people into Canada. I think we need to look moving forward. For the people you've brought into Canada, are we providing supports for them that they need once they've settled here? We want to bring them in, but we also want to make sure they have mental health supports, for example.

Have they got what they need once they've settled in Canada? If not, are there things we could be doing better to make sure they can adjust to our country?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you.

Mr. Peddle, go ahead, please.

[Stephen Peddle]

I've had lengthy conversations with Sangeen and his family members specifically. There are very good supports in place once they get to Canada; there is financial funding until they get themselves situated, housing, some education. Often, though, it ends up being more of an individual basis for long-term success. I know it's who in Canada helps bridge the gap between that first year in Canada when they're getting situated and then getting them moving in the right direction to be contributing to Canada and working in society with language skills and education.

In my particular case, with the folks I've helped, I was very fortunate because Sangeen is an electrician by trade and owns a successful commercial electrician's company, so he's been helping Afghans who come into the Toronto area with various work sites and projects. I think my biggest concern—

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Is he getting support from the Government of Canada to do that, or is he doing that on his own?

[Stephen Peddle]

He is doing that on his own, as a proud new Canadian and loyal to his people of Afghanistan. He has done a lot of very good work. He's been featured in many news articles and TV interviews.

I think he's an exception to the rule, though. I wouldn't think or say that this is the case with most refugees who come over. It's a bit more challenging if they don't know people who are willing to go that extra distance after they arrive.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Right. The government assists refugees for a year. Was he privately sponsored, or was he a government-sponsored refugee?

[Stephen Peddle]

Sangeen was a combat interpreter. He had interpreted for Canada for six years in theatre. He came over in 2012 under that special interpreter program. He was fortunate enough to speak impeccable English when he came to Canada, because he was an interpreter.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

We expanded that program so that family members—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you very much, Madam Damoff. I'm so sorry.

We will now move to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe for six minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the witnesses for their participation today and for the service they are providing. I also want to let them know that I will be giving them more time to speak than the previous member did. I'm not going to play politics. That's the first thing I want to make clear.

I want to ask you about mental health, an issue that was mentioned earlier. To me, one thing is very important, but we don't discuss it enough in this committee. How do Canada's veterans feel about not being able to help their Afghan partners and friends after giving them their word that they would? Does it give them anxiety or traumatize them? Is their mental health being affected?

Mr. Peddle and Mr. Shelson, you are the best people to tell us about that. I'd like to hear from each of you.

[Stephen Peddle]

Sorry, my French isn't good.

I didn't get any translation through this ear set.

What was the question? My apologies.

[Corey Shelson]

Same here; I didn't get the translation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

I'll restart your question time, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

Madam Clerk, can you check to see whether the translation is working?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Miriam Burke]

I think it's working now, Mr. Chair.

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

Can you hear the interpretation when I speak to you in French, gentlemen?

[Corey Shelson]

I can speak French, but I can answer better English.

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

I also speak English, but given my party, I will need interpretation, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

I agree.

I certainly would love to get it fixed if we can, Madam Clerk.

[The Clerk]

If I may, Mr. Chair, can I just check with the witnesses on whether they've selected the little globe at the bottom for the French interpretation?

[Corey Shelson]

I have it now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Okay. That's good.

How about you, Mr. Peddle? At the right-hand bottom corner, you should see “raise hand”. There's a button there. If you click that button, you have the option of either English or French audio. You should be on English, please.

[Stephen Peddle]

I think the issue, Mr. Chair, is that I'm working off an iPad, so I don't think it will be the same as it is for—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

On the iPad, you should find interpretation somewhere.

[Stephen Peddle]

Oh, there we go. Let's try that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Okay.

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, I will restart your time.