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House Hansard - 205

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 2, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 205 - Jun/2/23
Mr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, CPC)
  • Jun/2/23 11:05:34 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Canada's language and cultural advisers, or LCAs, are Canadian citizens of Afghan origin, immigrants who went back to serve their adopted country, so every LCA has family members in Afghanistan. The government’s criteria for admitting these family members to Canada are arbitrary and stingy. Here is how these rules affect one LCA from my riding. In 2021, his brother-in-law was murdered by the Taliban, so the rest of the family fled for their lives across the border. If Pakistan follows through on its threat to deport Afghans, they too will be killed. However, because these events happened before July 2021, the family does not qualify to come here. When my constituent asked to meet with the minister, he was told to go through my office. He did so, and after a two-week delay, my staff were told the minister was just too busy to meet with him. We were then directed to a website reaffirming that the family does not qualify. Surely, trapping Canadians in this kind of catch-22 is beneath the dignity of this nation.
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