As the Taliban declared victory this morning, the federal government said roughly 1,250 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and family members remain in Afghanistan.
Canada was part of a coalition airlifting those seeking refuge out of the country as the Taliban seized control of Kabul. The government said it was able to get 3,700 people out of Afghanistan, but last week couldn’t answer how many citizens were stranded.
On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said the government is now aware of 1,250 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their families still in Afghanistan.
The government also announced it has reached an agreement with the U.S. to co-operate on the safe passage of Afghan nationals out of Afghanistan
and will accept 5,000 Afghan refugees who were evacuated by the U.S.
Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said Canada and its allies have received word from the Taliban that those with proper documentation can leave the country,
Over the weekend, Canada and its allies received assurances from the Taliban that Afghan citizens with travel authorization from other countries would be allowed to safely leave Afghanistan,
he said.
We have a clear commitment from the Taliban, and we are going to hold them to it.
Earlier Tuesday morning, the Taliban marched into Kabul’s international airport, hours after the final U.S. troop withdrawal that ended the U.S.’s longest war.
Afghanistan is finally free,
Hekmatullah Wasiq, a top Taliban official, told The Associated Press on the tarmac.
The military and civilian side [of the airport] are with us and in control. Hopefully, we will be announcing our cabinet. Everything is peaceful. Everything is safe.
Garneau urged those still in the country to stay put while coalition officials work to figure next steps. He said he’s speaking with his counterpart in Pakistan about processing refugees crossing into that country.
Last week, as the airlift mission wrapped, the government said visas issued to those Afghans eligible to come to Canada will remain valid even if they haven’t left the country yet.
Mendicino said his department is working to make sure the language on the documents is updated so people can leave the country.
The Liberals have faced mounting criticism of their government’s response to the crisis on the campaign trail so far with both Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh suggesting they responded too late.
CBC News wth files from The Associated Press
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