Afghan ambassador to Canada urges flexibility on passports for approved refugees
OTTAWA — Afghanistan’s ambassador is urging action to ensure that Afghans who have been approved to come to Canada do not have to risk detention by the Taliban when they apply for a passport.
Ambassador Hassan Soroosh says in an interview that Afghans are facing house to house searches, extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances under the Taliban.
He says those who helped Canada are in a state of high vulnerability and face detention and prosecution if they apply for a passport to leave, even if they have been approved by immigration services to come here.
The ambassador called for a more flexible approach to paperwork and documents for approved Afghan refugees and immigrants, including those who have made it to other countries but whose visas have expired.