Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have announced a new partnership to resettle Afghan nationals who were evacuated from Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul in August 2021.
In a press release on Friday, the Canadian government said Canada will resettle up to 1,000 Afghan nationals who are currently in the UAE. The first charter flight carrying Afghan nationals arrived in Toronto on May 27, 2023.
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said: “Safe passage from Afghanistan remains a challenge unlike any other the Government Canada has faced in a humanitarian resettlement program. The success of our mission would not be possible without partners like the United Arab Emirates, and I am incredibly grateful for their cooperation. Canada will not waiver in its commitment to resettle at least 40,000 vulnerable Afghans.”
The UAE has been criticised by human rights organisations for keeping thousands of refugees, who were evacuated from Kabul, in “prison-like” detention centre in Abu Dhabi.
