More than 300 Afghans arrive in Canada as Ottawa inches closer to 40,000 resettlement goal

More than 300 people from Afghanistan arrived in Canada on Wednesday, bringing the total number of Afghans resettled since the Taliban takeover of that country to more than 30,000, the federal government said.

A flight from Pakistan arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Wednesday morning.

Those on board included people who helped Canada's mission in Afghanistan, family members of former interpreters and privately sponsored refugees.

After the Taliban swept to power in August 2021, Canada promised to resettle at least 40,000 Afghans through a number of special programs.

Ottawa has faced criticism for its chaotic attempts to get people to safety as the Taliban took over Kabul. Many have pointed out that Canada closed its embassy earlier than other countries did.

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30,000 Afghan refugees now in Canada, but thousands wait in fear

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Canada has welcomed 30,000 Afghan refugees, the majority of whom helped the Canadian Armed Forces, since the Taliban gained control in 2021, but thousands are still waiting in fear for their lives.

The federal government says it is now on track to reach the 40,000 target by the end of 2023, but it acknowledges in a news release that there will be significant challenges.

Refugee advocates saythe federal government needs to go beyond the goal of resettling more than 40,000 refugees.

"You have to think about having multiple ways for Afghans to get to Canada, and to also support them to get to other countries safely,"Lauryn Oates, executive director of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, told CBC News on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about expanding that target Wednesday. He saidonly that the government would look at next steps once 40,000 people are resettled.

"We're continuing to work on fulfilling those numbers and we'll look to what we can and must do in the future in other ways," Trudeau told a press conference in Winnipeg.

Canada is prioritizing the most vulnerable Afghans, "including woman leaders, human-rights defenders, persecuted and religious minorities, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and journalists," said a news release from the Immigration Department.

United Nations halts work in Afghanistan

The United Nations on Tuesday instructed employees to not report to the organization'soffices in Afghanistan and ordered an operational review. It made the moves in response to the Taliban restricting the rights of women and girls.

"Limited and calibrated exceptions" will be made for critical tasks, says a statement released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

The Taliban banned women from working for the UN earlier this month. Despite earlier promises of a more moderate approach to power, the Taliban banned girls from attending school past Grade 6.Afghan women were also barred from working at national and international non-governmental organizations, disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid.

"Through this ban, the Talibande factoauthorities seek to force the United Nations into having to make an appalling choice betweenstaying and delivering in support of the Afghan peopleandstanding by the norms and principleswe are duty-bound to uphold," the UN statement said.

Up until last week, women working for the UN were not included in the NGO ban, but the UN warned that women working for the organization could be targeted.

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After the Taliban barred Afghan women from working for the UN last week, the UN is reviewing its operations in the country. About That producer Lauren Bird discusses the impact this could have on humanitarian aid in that country with War Child Canada founder Dr. Samantha Nutt.

Proposed lawaims to better support foreign aid programs

Last month, the Liberal government tabled a bill that would adjust terrorism financing laws in Canada to allow foreign aid organizations to provide support in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and other terrorism hotspots.

Canadian charities and other non-governmental organizations have largely suspended their activities in the country because of Criminal Code provisions that essentially prohibit them from operating there.

Those provisions have had a chilling effect on life-saving work, charities said. Would-be refugees struggled to leave Afghanistan because of limited access to support workers who provide help with translation, paperwork and safe travel arrangements.

"It is no exaggeration that lives hang in the balance," Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told a press conference at the Canadian Red Cross headquarters in Ottawa last month.

"This bill meets the urgency of the moment, giving NGOs the flexibility they need to help those in need in Afghanistan."

As of the end of March, 18,000 people had applied to come to Canada as part of a special immigration program meant for people who helped Canadian diplomats and troops during the Afghanistan mission, as well as their families.

So far, 11,990 applications had been approvedbut only 9,875 Afghans had arrived in Canada by March 30, according to data published by the Immigration Department.

Another special program has been created to help the extended family members of former interpreters who are already living in Canada. The government says it aims to bring 5,000 people in through that stream, and 1,285 had arrived by the end of March.

Another 15,875 people who fall under government-assisted and privately sponsored refugee programs were in Canada by that time.