KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Ottawa’s promised fast-track immigration policy for Afghan translators has left many interpreters stuck in the starting blocks and fearing for their lives.
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney originally announced the program to assist Afghans who face “extraordinary personal risk” because of their support to Canada’s mission.
Kenney said he expected “a few hundred” successful applicants to qualify by the time the mission and the program ends in 2011.
By the end of May, only 25 of 114 applicants had been approved to move to Canada by a committee made up of officials from the departments of National Defence, Foreign Affairs, International Development and Immigration and Citizenship.
The committee works in conjunction with the International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental agency based in Kandahar.
An official with Immigration Canada said there have been 230 firm applications under the program.
However, a number of interpreters in the Kandahar area have applied with the full blessing of their superiors and have still been rejected.
“We were given special forms and we were told you have to face extraordinary risk and I do not understand what they mean by that,” said an interpreter who goes by the name Mojo to protect his identity.
He has worked with the Canadians for a few years and translates for Corrections Canada officials.
“I would like to give you an example. ‘Popeye’ was killed last month. He was a simple worker, working for the Canadians filling generators with fuel and putting in water for the offices,” he said. “We are the interpreters. The insurgents are saying we are the eyes of ISAF so if they caught us they would cut our throats.”
Fida Mohammed, a jack of all trades affectionately nicknamed “Popeye” by American soldiers, had worked at the PRT in Kandahar city for 35 years and was murdered when he left the base last month.
An intercepted message from Mullah Omar orders Taliban to kill any Afghan who is supporting or working for coalition forces or the government.