Afghans in Canada: From Shared Sacrifice to Today’s Problems

According to the official 2021 Census of Canada, there were 96,810 Afghans living in Canada. After 2021, the Government of Canada brought more than 55,000 Afghans to Canada through special Afghan programs.

Also, after 2021, many other Afghans came to Canada through family reunification, normal immigration, refugee applications, education, work, irregular ways, and other ways. There is no one official and updated number for these people. However, based on our estimate, more than 50,000 more people have come to Canada. If we add these numbers together, the Afghan population in Canada is now more than 200,000 people.

The Shared History of Afghanistan and Canada

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Canada joined the international mission in Afghanistan as part of the international community and NATO. According to official Canadian information, more than 40,000 Canadian military members served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014.

This was one of the important and longest military missions outside Canada in Canada’s recent history. During this time, 158 Canadian soldiers and one Canadian diplomat lost their lives.

During the same years, thousands of Afghans also worked and served with Canada, Canadian soldiers, and related organizations in different areas. Canadian official records also show cases of Afghan interpreters who were killed while working with Canadian soldiers.

Also, from 2001 to 2021, thousands of Afghans were killed by the Taliban and other armed groups because they worked with or helped the Canadian government, Canadian soldiers, and related organizations.

The Fall of 2021 and Bringing Afghans to Canada

On August 15, 2021, the government of Afghanistan, which had international support, fell, and Afghanistan came under Taliban control again.

After the fall, hundreds of thousands of Afghans faced serious safety and humanitarian problems. Many people became victims of the violence and difficult situation.

Because of this situation, the Government of Canada announced special programs to bring Afghans to Canada. These programs included people who worked with Canada, human rights workers, journalists, and people who took part in democratic and community activities.

According to official information from the IRCC, from August 2021 to November 1, 2024, 55,195 Afghans came to Canada through special Afghan programs and other related programs.

Families Separated and Immigration Problems

Because of the emergency situation in 2021, many Afghans had to leave Afghanistan quickly. Many families could not bring all their family members to Canada at the same time. Because of this, some families came to Canada without some of their family members, while others stayed in Afghanistan or other countries.

The immigration process is often difficult and slow. Many people also have problems with information, documents, and other requirements. These problems have caused long waits, refused applications, and family separation.

As a result, some Afghans who were expected to come to Canada through special programs are still outside Canada.

Some Afghans who came to Canada later applied again to bring their family members to Canada. They also sent the required forms and documents. However, some cases are still taking a long time, and people do not know when they will get a final answer.

Because of this, many families are still separated from their close family members, and their family life is facing serious problems.

This is especially difficult for families whose members lost relatives because of their work with the Canadian government, Canadian soldiers, human rights groups, and community organizations. These families are still very worried about the safety of their family members who are outside Canada.

Some of these family members are still in Afghanistan or other countries. They face safety problems, financial problems, restrictions, and other serious difficulties.

Note

To solve these problems, many Afghans in Canada have contacted government offices, Members of Parliament, and different immigration groups and organizations. They have asked for help with bringing their family members together and with the cases of family members who are still outside Canada.

Unfortunately, according to many families, despite these efforts, they have not yet received a clear, useful, and satisfactory answer or help.

Some Afghans have also asked to meet with Members of Parliament to explain their cases and ask for help. However, according to them, in some cases they were not able to meet with them and did not receive enough help to solve their problems.

This situation is a serious concern for the Afghan community in Canada and has caused many families to lose hope. Afghans are asking the Government of Canada to give urgent and serious attention to families that have been separated for many years.

Main Problems of New Afghans in Canada

The problems of Afghans do not end after they arrive in Canada. Many new Afghan arrivals still face serious problems with housing, jobs, language, work in their own fields, family reunification, mental health, and adjusting to life in a new country.

The Government of Canada has also recognized some of these problems, including housing, jobs, and mental health.

Finding a good and affordable home is a serious problem for many Afghan families. High rent and the lack of suitable homes for large families make their financial problems worse.

Also, some Afghans had good jobs, higher education, and many years of work experience in Afghanistan. But in Canada, they cannot easily work in the same jobs because they may need their education documents checked, professional licenses, better English or French, and Canadian work experience.

Language is also a major problem for many new Afghans. It can make it difficult to find a job, study, use health services, and communicate with government offices.

Also, the experience of war, threats, leaving home, losing family members, and suddenly moving to another country has had a strong effect on the mental and social life of some Afghans.

Some new Afghans also face problems with their children’s new school system, making friends and joining the community, daily living costs, health services, transportation, and understanding Canada’s government and legal systems.

The Government of Canada knows about some of these problems and provides services for housing, language learning, jobs, and other needs. However, from the point of view of the Afghan community, these services are not enough compared with the size of the problems.

Many Afghan families still need serious and practical help with their basic needs.

Afghans also say that they worked and served side by side with the Canadian government, Canadian soldiers, and international organizations in Afghanistan. Because of this work, they faced serious safety risks. Some lost family members and colleagues during the war.

For this reason, the Afghan community asks the Government of Canada not to treat their situation as a normal immigration issue. Because of their work, support, and sacrifices, they ask the Canadian government to take stronger action to help with family reunification, housing, jobs, work in their own fields, mental health, and other problems.

Afghans also need English and French language classes explained and taught in Pashto and Dari. They also need Canadian laws and rules to be explained in their own languages. This will help them understand the law, follow the rules, and become better members of Canadian society.

Many Afghans face serious problems because they do not fully understand Canadian laws and rules. This is a very serious problem.

Conclusion

Former Canadian Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau and current Prime Minister Mr. Mark Carney have mentioned the importance of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan many times in their speeches and statements.

In official government statements, both Canadian leaders have also talked about Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, Canada’s safety and national interests, Canada’s international duties, and Canada’s support for the Afghan people.

Canada carried out a long military, security, and development mission in Afghanistan.

Because of this shared history, Afghans are asking the Government of Canada to give special attention to the situation of Afghans.

Respectfully