Afghan Community in Saskatoon Urges Ottawa to Expedite Immigration

Advocates and members of the Afghan community in Saskatoon are calling on the federal government to accelerate the immigration process for Afghan nationals stranded in Pakistan. During a gathering outside Saskatoon City Hall on Saturday, participants highlighted the plight of hundreds of family members awaiting resettlement in Canada, who are currently facing perilous living conditions.

Setara Zahedi, one of the advocates, shared her family’s distressing situation. Her mother, two sisters, and two brothers have been unable to leave Pakistan for nearly a year despite having their immigration applications approved. “They are in a very difficult situation,” Zahedi stated. “Pakistani police are arresting undocumented Afghan refugees, and my family is among them. They don’t have legal documents for Pakistan, and local authorities refuse to recognize the Canadian papers they possess.”

Zahedi expressed her deep concern for her siblings, who are very young. She urged the government to take prompt action, saying, “I’m under a lot of mental stress and fear something will happen to them.” Her comments underscore the urgent need for intervention by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The situation for Afghan refugees has deteriorated significantly, particularly following heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan that escalated in late 2024 and continued into 2025. Pakistani authorities have initiated mass deportations, expelling approximately one million of the three million Afghans residing in Pakistan this year alone.

In an open letter addressed to Lena Metlege Diab, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Afghan community articulated their fear for those left behind. “We fear every day for the safety of our families,” the letter stated. “They believed Canada would be their path to protection, and many have already been accepted into Canadian programs, but they are instead trapped in an escalating crisis.”

Mark Bigland-Pritchard, a representative from the Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan, emphasized the increasing focus on Afghan refugees in Pakistan due to the rising risks of deportation. In 2024, Afghan applicants comprised 15 percent of all immigration applications from Pakistan. That figure soared to 59 percent in 2025, and it is expected to remain high in 2026.

Despite ongoing efforts, only two Afghan families have successfully arrived in Canada this year, as processing times remain excessively long. This delay puts applicants at risk of detention and deportation. “While processing times for Afghans in Pakistan are shorter than for other refugees, they are still too long,” Bigland-Pritchard noted. “The risk to the people we are trying to bring is great and steadily increasing.”

He also mentioned that some individuals have faced detention for deportation but were fortunate enough to gain their freedom. One person was deported but managed to return to Pakistan, highlighting the precarious nature of their situation.

Bigland-Pritchard raised concerns about recent federal government announcements indicating a potential reduction in the immigration program for Afghan refugees in 2026. “We have some hard work to do in rebuilding a Canadian consensus of welcome and mutual support,” he said. This initiative will involve collaboration with various groups across the country, as highlighted by the Canadian Council for Refugees.

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, Canada has welcomed over 55,000 Afghans. However, the IRCC recently announced that the pause on new applications under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program will continue until 2027 while the ministry addresses its backlog. This pause affects sponsorships submitted by community organizations or groups of five or more individuals.

As the Afghan community in Saskatoon continues to advocate for their families, the need for swift action from the federal government remains critical. CTV News has reached out to the federal Ministry of Immigration for further comment but has yet to receive a response. The ongoing humanitarian crisis emphasizes the urgency of providing support and protection to those in desperate need.