Mr. Chair and honourable members, I'm immensely grateful for the opportunity to speak with you today.
I'm here representing Tenth Church refugee ministry and the community of over 150 Afghan refugee claimants we serve.
I am from Australia. My husband Samih is from Syria. We met in Lebanon and now call Canada home.
Samih is a grateful recipient of Canada's open-handed generosity to refugees. While I have never been a refugee, as a survivor of torture, I have an abiding respect for Canada, which is internationally recognized as a place of refuge and welcome for those fleeing conflict and crisis. Indeed, today is a monumental day for us. It is the three-year anniversary of Samih's arrival in Canada. He is now eligible for citizenship.
Samih and I serve two refugee ministries in British Columbia, where we live. He and I have formed and facilitate multiple refugee settlement teams to welcome refugees currently held in Australian immigration detention. We do this with organizational partners Mosaic and Ads Up Canada. We also serve the Tenth Church refugee ministry, which provides extensive settlement services and social support to Afghan refugee claimants. Indeed, some of our closest friends here in Canada are members of the Afghan community.
However, at the outset I want to acknowledge that most of my Afghan friends are themselves unable to appear before the special committee because of the extreme risk doing so would pose to their loved ones in Afghanistan. I come, therefore, with deep humility and speak out of relationships of respect, reciprocity and responsibility.
I refer you first and foremost to the document entitled “Defining Family”, which contains the voices of Afghans in Canada as compiled by Journey Home Community Association and Tenth Church refugee ministry. This is the message the Afghan community wish the Government of Canada to hear. Building upon this document is a second, which contains recommendations for a coherent and consistent family reunification policy specific to the Afghan crisis.
Canada defines family members as one's spouse and dependent children. This narrow definition places Afghan families at risk. Afghan families typically live together as multi-generational households, and thus immediate family includes parents, siblings and children of any age. As well as parents and unmarried siblings, other dependants include those in the household and those who are financially dependent.
The Afghan definition of “family” matters because the Taliban target family members. The Taliban hold an entire family responsible for the actions of one family member and operate under a revenge model, which requires the life of a family member in place of a person who has evaded capture. Thus, whole families face deferred risk for the actions of one family member, including a Canadian-based family member.
There is, however, current precedent for expanding the definition of “family”. The special family reunification program offers permanent residence for extended family members of a subset of former Afghan interpreters. Under this program, extended family includes parents, siblings and children of any age. Moreover, Afghans who assisted the Canadian government can apply to resettle their de facto dependants, where de facto dependants are defined as those who live in the same household or who are financially or emotionally dependent. Both of these initiatives more adequately reflect the reality of Afghan families.
Addressing the current policy gap requires an expansion of the special family reunification program beyond interpreters. Specifically, the expanded special family reunification program should offer permanent residence for the Afghan extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. In exceptional circumstances, and where there is evidence of risk, the expanded special family reunification program should include de facto dependants. To ensure fairness, the processing of applications should prioritize those with evidence of risk and/or the presence of additional risk factors.
In sum, Canada needs a streamlined extended family reunification policy to respond to the Afghan crisis. Expanding the definition of “family” for Afghan family reunification demonstrates both compassion for and cultural sensitivity to the particular risks experienced by Afghans.
Thank you.