TORONTO – The question is: how many Canadians are still stuck in Afghanistan? The federal government will not disclose it. “Security reasons”. “Due to the security situation in Afghanistan, Global Affairs does not disclose the number of Canadians registered in the Canadian overseas registration database (Roca),” reads an e-mailed statement from a Global Affairs Canada (Gac) spokesperson to Global News, on Sunday night. And, above all, it is unknown if, how and when all these people (and with them the 20,000 Afghans that the government announced on Friday that it wants to welcome) will be able to “land” in Canada. 

Many, in the days immediately preceding the Taliban’s capture of Kabul, were told to go to the Canadian embassy in the Afghan capital, but upon their arrival they were greeted by an abandoned building: the embassy, ​​in fact, was closed. As the situation became increasingly hot, in fact, Canada interrupted diplomatic operations and hastily took the embassy staff away from the country, and then closed it on Sunday. But many of those who helped Canadian troops during their stay in Afghanistan, including the interpreters and their families, remain trapped in the country.

But in Canada, the elections have been thought above all since yesterday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was criticized by other parties for choosing to hold consultations on Sunday, as the Taliban descended on Kabul. “Our democracy and democratic institutions are strong enough to be able to ensure that, even as we do this important work for Afghanistan, we are able to control and make sure that Canadians have their voice on the extraordinarily urgent issues facing us, here, in this country, right now and for the next few years”, Trudeau said in response to the allegations.

“We are extremely concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and I can assure you that officials and ministers will continue to work for the protection of Canadians and to get Canadians out of Afghanistan safely and to continue stepping up efforts, as Canada has so many times. done all over the world to bring people to safety”, Trudeau added. But his assurances did not spare him criticism, including from conservative leader Erin O’Toole. “It is horrifying to see the Taliban secure control of the country once again”, O’Toole said. “Canada must work with our allies, and as a government we will defend dignity and human rights, because Mr. Trudeau did not”.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also criticized the premier about the timing of the elections. “I wouldn’t have called them”, he said. And then he added: “I would deploy all possible resources to get those at risk out of Afghanistan, provide them with help to evacuate not only the people directly affected, but also their families”.

The election campaign has begun.

In the photo, a flight from Afghanistan for the repatriation of diplomatic personnel (from the Twitter profile of Minister Marco Mendicino)