NEW YORK (VOA): The United States State Department has referred more than 5,000 Afghan refugees seeking admission to the United States to a partner program in Canada. Wait times for refugees there are shorter.
“We are working with Canada to refer up to 5,000 refugees to Canada, independent of our ongoing efforts for US resettlement,” a State Department spokesman told VOA.
On the Canadian side, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said Afghan refugees referred by the US are coming to Canada from third countries. They have been living in those countries since fleeing Afghanistan.
Rescue efforts
Newly formed groups like Operation North Star and Task Force Pineapple are working to rescue those still in Afghanistan. Such groups formed after the Taliban takeover of the country last August.
But getting people out of Afghanistan is just part of the problem.
The Operation North Star website says they have almost 500 Afghans in third countries and more than 2,000 Afghans in safe homes in Afghanistan.
The process to move to the United States is a difficult one for refugees. It includes finding safe houses, leaving Afghanistan, finding a third country, applying to a refugee program, and then arriving in a new country.
The US immigration system has many complex laws related to refugees entering the United States. The full process can take two to five years.
Some private groups are looking to other countries as permanent homes for refugees because of slow US processing.
Immigration-friendly Canada is a favored place.
Since October 1, 2021, 133 Afghans have been admitted into the US through the US Refugee Admission Program. A total 1,545 refugees have been admitted through the Special Immigrant Visa program. That program is for those people who worked for the US government in Afghanistan.
Resettlement to Canada
Once the US identifies Afghan refugees who meet certain requirements, they are accepted for resettlement to Canada.
Jeffrey MacDonald is the communications officer at IRCC. He said that, as government-assisted refugees, Afghans become permanent residents on arrival and can use the country’s Resettlement Assistance Program.
The Canadian government provides temporary housing and up to 12 months of financial support.
MacDonald said in an email to VOA that monthly financial support levels for housing, food, and other costs depend on where in Canada the refugees live. They also depend on the size of the family.
The Canadian government has promised to accept 40,000 Afghan refugees. That includes the 5,000 people being referred through the partnership with the US.
Since last August, Canada has admitted a little over 8,800 Afghan refugees.
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