Afghanistan Committee on March 28th, 2022

Evidence of meeting #7 for Afghanistan in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was taliban.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Committee Business

Humanitarian Assistance for the Afghan people

MPs speaking

Sukh Dhaliwal

Kerry-Lynne Findlay

Maninder Sidhu

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe

Also speaking

Alison MacLean Documentarian, Producer of Burkas2Bullets, As an Individual

Djawid Taheri Lawyer, As an Individual

Katherine Moloney Representative for Afghan Families, Tenth Church

Sally Armstrong Journalist, As an Individual

Sima Samar Former Chairperson, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, As an Individual

Heather Barr Associate Women’s Rights Director, Human Rights Watch

Wadood Dilsoz Director, Afghan Community Vancouver

Friba Rezayee Founder and Executive Director, Women Leaders of Tomorrow

Wazhma Frogh Founder, Women & Peace Studies Organization – Afghanistan

9:25 p.m.

Founder, Women & Peace Studies Organization – Afghanistan

Wazhma Frogh

For me, there would be two number one priorities. One is to actually put a quota for 50% women applicants—for women leaders and young women—within the 40,000 allocations you have. The second top priority is that Canada needs to appoint a female envoy for Afghanistan whom we can talk to on a regular basis.

9:25 p.m.

Director, Afghan Community Vancouver

Wadood Dilsoz

I would add that we have to change the measures, so that we have the same measures as for Ukraine. We have to foresee that for Afghanistan as well.

9:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

Thank you very much, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

9:25 p.m.

Bloc

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

I extend my thanks to all of you.

9:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

We will go to Ms. Kwan for a minute and a half, please.

9:25 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Thank you.

I want to go back to the last question, because one of the huge roadblocks for people to get out is the immigration measure that requires people to be already in a third country. Without the temporary travel permit, they cannot get to a third country.

My question then, for Ms. Rezayee and then Mr. Dilsoz, is this: Should the government change the special immigration measure that requires Afghans to be in a third country in order to access immigration supports?

9:25 p.m.

Director, Afghan Community Vancouver

Wadood Dilsoz

Absolutely, it has to be changed.

As we speak right now, someone is being tortured or someone is being killed. This is unfortunate. I think we have to change these measures.

9:25 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Ms. Rezayee.

9:25 p.m.

Founder and Executive Director, Women Leaders of Tomorrow

Friba Rezayee

Absolutely. What we're asking of the Canadian government is doable and achievable.

Please remove the third country requirement, as well as the documents from UNHCR. Our female athletes are in Islamabad at the moment, but they can't have any documents from UNHCR in order to qualify for the IRCC application.

Our need is very basic and also very doable.

9:25 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Thank you.

Very quickly, you mentioned the students. If they apply for a student visa from Afghanistan, they will be rejected because IRCC says that it doesn't believe they will return to their home country.

What do you suggest that the government should do with respect to that?

9:25 p.m.

Director, Afghan Community Vancouver

Wadood Dilsoz

Currently, of the students coming to Canada, half are staying in Canada. They don't leave. They work here and they continue living here, so it's not the case that—

9:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

Ms. Kwan, that was your two minutes.

9:25 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

I'm sorry about that.

Can I get the witnesses to submit their answers to me for that question? They didn't get a chance to answer.

9:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

Sure.

9:25 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

If they could do that, it would be much appreciated.

9:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal

Thank you very much, Ms. Kwan.

On behalf of the committee members, I want to thank the witnesses for the work they do in the lives of the most vulnerable and for sharing their thoughts with us today. I appreciate that. I wish you all the best.

Also on behalf of all members, I would like to thank the interpreters for staying for three long hours. I know it's not easy, particularly with the accents of people like myself.

I also want to thank the technical and support staff, as well as the clerk, the analysts and the staff from the members' offices.

It's work well done. Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.