Canada’s Border Force will send 19 Afghans to Afghanistan after denying their asylum applications in 2023, even as the federal government continues to criticize the human rights record of the Taliban regime that took power more than three years ago. Sent it back.
Canada Border Services Agency told CBC News that not a single Afghan who left the country last year had their case dismissed because of safety or security risks. The CBSA said it would not release any further information, citing privacy and confidentiality concerns.
For the same reason, the CBSA did not say how many of the 19 people were women.
The deportations occurred despite the federal government’s Suspension of Deportations Order (TSR), which has been in place for Afghan nationals since 1994.
The agency said the TSR is intended to “stop deportations to a country or location when the prevailing situation, such as an armed conflict or environmental disaster, poses a danger to the civilian population as a whole.”
It also said that individuals deemed unsuitable “on grounds of criminality, serious criminality, international or human rights violations, organized crime, or public security” may be removed despite the TSR. .
The CBSA said the 19 unsuccessful asylum seekers left Canada “voluntarily,” but did not initially explain what that term meant.
In a subsequent message to CBC News, he said “voluntarily” meant that the Afghans “recognize that they are benefiting from the moratorium on removals due to the temporary moratorium on Afghanistan, but the legislative “Despite the suspension of the operation, the government requested enforcement of the removal order.”
“In other words, the individual was advised that he could remain in Canada until the TSR was lifted and chose to return to Afghanistan.”
United Nations experts recently called on Canada to grant refugee status to all Afghan women asylum seekers currently in Canada, citing an increasingly dangerous and oppressive atmosphere for women and girls in Afghanistan. I asked for it.
Richard Bennett, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said: “Canada is committed to supporting all Afghan women in its territory, given the widespread gender persecution that women and girls face under the Taliban. “We should align with other gender-sensitive countries by granting refugee status to girl asylum seekers.” This was said in a media statement released after a working visit here last month.
In an interview that aired on CBC on Sunday. rosemary burton liveBennett said he believes there is interest in the idea in other parts of the world.
“I’m just introducing what’s already happening in Europe for Canada’s consideration,” she said, “especially since Canada has a feminist foreign policy.”
In late October, the Taliban He issued a decree forbidding women and girls from praying or reciting Quranic verses together in the same room. They are effectively prohibited from attending mosques.
Taliban are already It prohibited women from attending higher education and girls from secondary education.
“In fact, I think it’s amazing and really terrible that women, especially women, are basically expunged from society and can’t get an education beyond the sixth grade. “We are the first, only, unique and unique country in the world to have this,” Bennett said.
Immigration experts question deportation
The CBSA also said it has removed 953 disqualified claimants in Afghanistan since 2014, of which only 82 were sent to Afghanistan and the rest to undisclosed third countries.
The report found that of the 82 people deported to Afghanistan, only five were deemed inadmissible for safety or security reasons, and that they “did not benefit from the moratorium on deportations.” ” he said. The remaining 77 people also departed “voluntarily.”
Of the 82 people removed since 2014, 25 were women. The agency did not break down the year-on-year changes in statistics by gender, again citing privacy concerns.
Two immigration lawyers and a consultant have questioned the deportation.
Waheed Jalalzada, a Toronto-based immigration consultant, said: “People don’t feel forced by circumstances such as financial hardship, family pressure, or a complete lack of opportunity to stay in Canada or settle in another country. “It is difficult to imagine Afghans returning voluntarily without having to flee.” Specializes in Afghanistan.
Immigration lawyer Aidan Simadon said “voluntary” departure could also include people who fail a test and are given a set number of days to leave the country before being put on a plane.
“When you hear that you’re going to get that letter, it can sound pretty scary. Some people think, ‘Oh, I don’t want to get in trouble, I’m probably going to leave Canada,'” he says.
Simardon said he was troubled by the high number of women among those repatriated to Afghanistan since 2014.
“You’ll be shocked at how obvious the facts are. [about the danger facing women in Afghanistan] “However, asylum applications can still be rejected,” he said.
Alghavan Jerami, an Ottawa-based immigration lawyer, said the CBSA could be a little more upfront while still respecting privacy laws.
“It’s helpful if they can chime in and explain, because sometimes they put on a blanket of privacy and confidentiality that doesn’t answer the questions,” she says.
All three said the number of people being deported to third countries was alarming.
“For them, going would not have been an attractive option and probably not safe.” [to a third country]”, Jerami said, adding that if they were unsuccessful in applying for asylum in Canada, they likely would not have been able to find refuge in the first country they went to after leaving Afghanistan.
“The high reliance on third-country relocation raises serious questions about the adequacy of protection for people sent to other jurisdictions,” Jalalzada said. “This approach seems to shift responsibility rather than provide meaningful safety.”
Government undecided on comprehensive refugee recognition
Immigration Minister Mark Miller’s office said in a media statement that it has not decided to grant blanket refugee status to all Afghan women and girls in Canada.
A spokesperson said: “We do not intend to speculate on future decisions.”
The ministry also noted that Canada has hosted approximately 54,000 Afghans here since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, exceeding its commitment to welcome 40,000 in 2021.
It also said asylum seekers “receive an independent and impartial assessment of the individual merits of their claims before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.”
