Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff says he’s happy to see the federal government’s announcement Friday to bring eligible Afghans at risk of suffering at the hands of the Taliban because of their work for Canada to our country—-but he would have liked to see more clarity on a timeline.
“I’m very happy that they’ve at least made a public acknowledgment now that they are committing to doing a program to bring back these Afghans and their families. That’s great news,” says Ruff, but he adds, ” I don’t accept their lack of clarity on the details of the timing.”
Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino made the announcement Friday, saying the details of the resettlement will not be released in the interest of the protection of the Afghans.
The federal government said Friday, “The work at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Department of National Defence (DND) is well underway to identify and assist individuals eligible for resettlement to Canada. Operational teams from IRCC, GAC and DND are currently on the ground in Afghanistan to support these efforts. Starting immediately, IRCC will begin processing individuals referred to them by GAC and DND.”
Ruff, who has been urging the government to make a commitment to help Canada’s Afghan aides for weeks, is warning there isn’t much time left to make all this happen, noting, “Time is the enemy in this case on the ground in Afghanistan.”
Ruff is a retired colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces who had two deployments to Afghanistan.
He understands the government’s concerns about operational security and its reluctance to release much information about its plans, but notes, “Committing to a timeline as I’ve been highlighting and many others have— that this is of utmost urgency to get these Afghans out of country because the Taliban are not stopping just because the Canadian government has made an announcement that we’re going to help extract a number of them. They’re not going to stop doing what they’re doing and stop going after them. So we really do have a very short time window.”
Ruff has been making public statements in local and national media, advocating for a quick reaction from Canada in getting at-risk Afghans to safety. In recent weeks, he’s connected with people and NGOs in Afghanistan in an effort to help as well as taken part in meetings on the issue.
He says, “In the end I’m just grateful that they’ve made a public announcement,” noting, that behind the scenes over the past week, the government had said they were ‘working on it.’
“I’m still somewhat frustrated that they’re not providing that commitment to doing this in a very timely fashion because if they don’t, it’s going to be all for naught,” says Ruff.
The United States has committed to being out of Afghanistan by September 11th, 2021 as NATO forces continue to withdraw from the country.
My deepest appreciation to @corey_shelson for putting us (@jamesbezan @ScotDavidsonMP @JohnBrassardCPC) in contact with the ground truth as it is unfolding in Afghanistan. Canada needs to do the right thing and support these Afghans now. #UnitedInLeavingTogether #LeaveNoOneBehind https://t.co/oPE7swixMz
— Alex Ruff (@AlexRuff17) July 14, 2021
My official statement on needed federal government action to help former Afghan interpreters et al. #UnitedInLeavingTogether https://t.co/E7GY33rNwH pic.twitter.com/2nm3gJP2pS
— Alex Ruff (@AlexRuff17) July 9, 2021