Minister, I also chair the Special Committee on Afghanistan. We've heard heart-wrenching testimony over the past many months regarding the plight of Afghans trying to leave the country and hoping to begin a new life here in Canada. In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in Afghan refugees arriving in Canada. It's my understanding that there are about 12,000 individuals who have put their feet on Canadian soil.
Could the minister please touch on the work the department has done recently to ramp up the efforts to bring Afghans to Canada, and also touch on some of the difficulties in processing Afghan refugees compared with refugees coming from other parts of the globe?