Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Ottawa working to bring as many Afghans 'as possible' to Canada: Trudeau

Share
Ottawa -

After the first flight of Afghan workers who helped the Canadian military during the war arrived on Canadian soil on Wednesday evening, the prime minister says the operation won't stop there.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trudeau said Ottawa will continue to bring back Afghan refugees – embassy workers, interpreters, and their families – who are fleeing Taliban retribution.

“We continue to work with Afghan interpreters and support staff around Afghanistan to bring home as many of them as possible,†he said.

“We were very pleased to see that first plane arriving yesterday afternoon. It was very emotional for all of us to see people who’ve been there to support Canada, to support Canadians come to their now homes, come to safety.â€

The flight was filled mostly with embassy staff and their families, and there are questions now as to why the plane was only half full when so many are in danger there.

Earlier in the day, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino expanded on the news, reiterating that more planes carrying Afghans will continue to arrive in the coming days and weeks.

“We know there’s still much more work to be done and I know as more families arrive in the weeks ahead that Canadians are up to the task. Our communities will band around them, to give them the support they need to thrive in their new home,†he said.

He also noted that the logistics of the operation were “extraordinarily challenging†given the security factors at play.

“Operational security and the safety of the Afghans and of all Canadian staff are paramount concern. Over the course of this operation, we will not be able to share the details of our work on the ground,†he said.

“We are seized with the urgency of the situation in Afghanistan and we continue to work around the clock here and overseas to help Afghans who have put themselves at great risk to help Canada.â€

The Taliban claims it now controls about 80 per cent of Afghanistan after the U.S. began extracting its military forces – a move U.S. President Joe Biden says will be completed by Aug. 31.

The first group of interpreters that assisted U.S. troops – approximately 220 people – arrived last week. All total, the U.S. has pledged to bring back about 2,500.

The Canadian government has also offered hope to potentially thousands of interpreters, locally engaged staff with the Canadian Embassy and their families who assisted the Canadian Armed Forces on their 10-year deployment.

Some former interpreters who arrived in Canada during two previous resettlement efforts are seeking clarity from the government about whether their families still in Afghanistan are eligible to apply for the current program.

A group of about 100 gathered on Parliament Hill on Tuesday with signs that read “Help: evacuate our people†and “Our work has jeopardized our family members,†to demand safe refuge for their loved ones.

Asked whether they’d be eligible on Thursday, Mendicino said their efforts are focused on extracting those who’ve had a “significant and enduring relationship†with the government of Canada in Afghanistan and their families.

He added that the government aims to be as inclusive as they can throughout the process, including in the definition of family or what constitutes a family member.

“The reason we’re trying to be inclusive is we believe we have a moral obligation to do right by those Afghans who for many years put themselves into harms way , put their own lives in jeopardy, as we were carrying out military operations.â€

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

The brother of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in Scarborough over the weekend has been arrested and charged in connection with his death, say police.

The Royal Canadian Mint has introduced its latest Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin – made entirely from gold sourced from a single mine in northern Ontario

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected