Toronto vows to help relocate Afghan refugees who may come to Canada to build new lives

“Our city will be the destination for thousands of people fleeing Afghanistan,” Tory said in surprise Tuesday.

“This is an opportunity for Torontons and all Canadians to show once again their compassion and commitment to helping others and working together to support sponsorship and relocation efforts.”

On Tuesday, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said Canadians would accept 5,000 Afghans airlifted from the United States. 5,000 are part of the 20,000 Afghan refugees that the Canadian government has promised to resettle.

The 20,000 refugees are separated from former translators who helped Canada with its military mission in Afghanistan and family members eligible for special visas.

Tory said he is working with Mendicino and is seeking the help of business and community leaders to ensure that support and resources will be available to help Afghan refugees settle down and build new lives for themselves in Toronto.

“In keeping with Toronto’s values ​​and traditions, I intend to lead this initiative, which will be of tremendous benefit to our city,” Tory said.

“We will have more to say in the coming days, but I am convinced after our meeting that there are organizations and people in our city willing to help in this effort.”

Don Peat, the mayor’s spokesman, said in a separate statement that the Refugee Resettlement program, approved by the city council in October 2015, will be the basis for efforts to relocate Afghan refugees to Toronto.

The situation involving the relocation of Afghan refugees is ongoing and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, a federal department, is sharing details with the city and certain refugee assistance providers, he added.

“Based on our experience assisting in the resettlement of Syrian refugees, we expect a large number of Afghan refugees to choose to settle in the Greater Toronto Area,” Peat said.

Peat said while it is primarily the role of the federal government to relocate refugees, the city is working with refugee support groups and agencies, exchanging information and ensuring that support is in place for refugees when they arrive.

The most urgent needs will be housing, employment and mental health support, he added.

LOOK | CBC Toronto’s Chris Glover talks to an Afghan family who were at home:

Afghan man in Toronto worries about family at home

CBC’s Chris Glover shares the story of a Toronto man grieving for his family trapped in the war-torn country of Afghanistan. 2:39

Ahmad, 26, a permanent resident who came to Toronto from Afghanistan about five years ago, said the Canadian government should house as many refugees as possible, cut bureaucracy, and lift restrictions on who can come. and explain how the job relocation process will go.

The CBC does not bear Ahmadi’s last name to protect his family members in Afghanistan who worked with the US and who now fear retaliation from the Taliban.

Ahmad said he and a group of Afghans are hoping to sponsor 20 families and fundraising has begun to make it happen.

“We are ready to save lives because we know those lives are in danger,” he said. “We are ready to try to help them financially and give them our time and do the paperwork.”

Ahmad said he is calling on sponsorship organizations in Canada to focus on Afghan refugees who need to leave Afghanistan because their lives are in danger.

“Any Canadian can help. They can come out together as a group of five and can sponsor a family or an individual from Afghanistan,” he said.

On Tuesday, Mendicino defended the government’s response so far and said Canadian immigration officials are continuing to process applications as soon as possible in the hope that people will be able to leave.

“Our commitment is that from now on, even after the withdrawal of the coalition is completed, we will continue to process those applications,” he said. “We will continue to express in clear and strong language that they must be allowed safe passage so that they can relocate to Canada.”