As militants moved across the country, taking major cities, Canada announced Friday that it will take in up to 20,000 Afghan refugees, including women leaders, government officials, and others who face Taliban threats.
“The situation in Afghanistan is sad, and Canada will not remain silent,” said Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino during a press conference.
The refugees would include “especially vulnerable” Afghans who are still in the country or have already left to neighboring countries, including human rights defenders, persecuted minorities, and journalists, in addition to female leaders and government employees.
Several planeloads of asylum seekers have already left, with the first arriving in Toronto on Friday, according to Mendicino.
Officials claimed Canadian special forces are part of contingency plans to transport Canadian embassy workers as the Taliban advances on Kabul, but details were not disclosed owing to the delicate nature of the security operation.
Many countries, including Spain, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, declared earlier Friday that their embassies would be closing.
Canada has stated that it is “very closely” watching the situation in Afghanistan and is cooperating with its allies on the ground.
“Our main goal is to protect the Canadian Embassy and our workers,” Foreign Minister Marc Garneau stated.
He added on Twitter that Canada “owes Afghans a debt of gratitude,” and that “we will continue our efforts to bring them to safety.”
