On January 19, 2022, the government of Canada announced that over 200 Afghan refugees landed in Vancouver on January 18.
More than 160 of them will continue to live in Vancouver, while the others will settle in other parts of Canada, close to their families. This largest flight to date of Afghan nationals arriving in the province departed from Islamabad, Pakistan.
The acceptance of these Afghan refugees whose employment involved a significant relationship with Canada increased the total number of Afghans accepted to the country to 7,000. A $2 million refugee readiness fund was announced by the BC government in November 2021 to assist families resettling in BC because of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
As a result of the fund, communities in the province will be able to respond to the needs of Afghan refugees. Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC), a RAP SPO whose work is vital to helping refugees adjust to life in Canada, will provide support to these refugees in the next few weeks.
The ISSofBC also helps refugees in finding housing, providing information about job search, improving their language skills and living in Canada. As Afghan refugees began arriving in Canada in August 2021, IRCC has been helping them connect with communities that offer settlement assistance.