Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n For over 20 years, Canadians have collaborated with Afghan nationals to enhance security, democracy, and human rights in Afghanistan. Canada is now opening its doors to those endangered by their critical contributions.<\/p>\n On January 11, 2022, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the arrival of more than 250 Afghan refugees to Canada, including 170 human rights defenders, under government assistance. This initiative aligns with Canada’s longstanding commitment to human rights advocacy both domestically and globally.<\/p>\n In July 2021, a dedicated immigration stream for human rights defenders<\/a> was launched by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), setting Canada apart as one of the few nations with a permanent program for these vital protectors of human rights.<\/p>\n Human rights defenders play a crucial role in safeguarding global human rights, often risking their lives. Many refugees arriving in Canada have a rich history of documenting human rights abuses in Afghanistan and plan to continue their advocacy here, supported by Canadian and international NGOs.<\/p>\n This group of refugees is part of Canada’s promise to aid vulnerable Afghan refugees, including women leaders, religious minorities, and individuals supporting Canadian journalism. Canada’s humanitarian effort complements a specific immigration program for Afghans who assisted Canada during military missions.<\/p>\n To date, Canada has welcomed around 6,750 Afghan nationals. In the coming days, these new arrivals will integrate into host communities, supported by local service providers, as they start their new lives in Canada.<\/p>\n The Government of Canada collaborates with organizations like Front Line Defenders and ProtectDefenders, alongside the UN Refugee Agency, to identify and protect at-risk human rights defenders. The IRCC’s Refugee Resettlement Program is pivotal in helping these individuals settle and thrive across Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a privilege to welcome today this cohort of Afghan refugees, who face persecution as a result of their work to protect the human rights of others. Canada is one of the few countries globally with a dedicated program that provides refuge for vulnerable human rights defenders, and I am grateful for their work to document and prevent human rights abuses and proud that they now call our country home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n For media only:<\/strong><\/p>\n Vincent Hughes<\/strong> Media Relations<\/strong> Canada has committed to resettling vulnerable Afghan refugees, including human rights defenders, religious minorities, and others who supported Canadian efforts in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n Canada provides a dedicated immigration stream for human rights defenders, and offers support through various government and non-governmental collaborations.<\/p>\n Human rights defenders in Afghanistan often face persecution, including threats, detention, torture, and assassination, from both state and non-state actors.<\/p>\n For further details, Read our immigration guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For 2 decades, Canadians have worked side by side with Afghan nationals to improve security, democracy and human rights in Afghanistan. Now Canada is welcoming people who face risks as a result of this vitally important work. … <\/i>Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-immigration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5066\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Overview of the Arrival<\/h2>\n
Impact and Future Plans<\/h2>\n
Continued Advocacy and Support<\/h3>\n
Humanitarian Commitment<\/h3>\n
Collaborative Efforts for Protection<\/h3>\n
Insightful Quotes<\/h2>\n
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Important Information<\/h2>\n
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Associated Resources<\/h2>\n
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Media Inquiries<\/h2>\n
Minister\u2019s Office, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064
Vincent.Hughes@cic.gc.ca<\/a><\/p>\n
Communications Branch, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
IRCC.COMMMediaRelations-RelationsmediasCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca<\/a><\/p>\nFrequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
What is Canada’s role in supporting Afghan refugees?<\/h3>\n
How does Canada support human rights defenders?<\/h3>\n
What are the risks faced by human rights defenders in Afghanistan?<\/h3>\n