CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN
A newcomer to Brandon recalls her family's journey from Afghanistan to Canada. The Sun agreed not to publish her name or photos of her face.
After a harrowing six-month journey to escape Taliban rule in Afghanistan, a newcomer family in Brandon is trying to figure out their next steps toward establishing a life in Canada.
The family’s trek to Brandon was long, fraught and full of danger. Each day was filled with decisions that hung between the balance of life and death.
CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN
A newcomer to Brandon and her family wish to move to Toronto but are unsure how they will get there.
One member of the family living in a temporary home in Brandon told the Sun that while she wonders what comes next for the family — her husband, four children and brother-in-law — they are glad to have arrived in Canada at the end of December.
"We are all very happy that we are out of Kabul because in Kabul, for almost two months, we were inside the house. We were afraid of seeing Taliban faces. It was scary," she said. "We are happy that we left that situation [and] we are now in a better situation … But, still, we are stuck in the home."
The Sun agreed to not share her name due to concern for the safety of family members still living in Afghanistan.
The newcomer family knew they had to escape their home country after receiving an email from the Immigration Office in Canada, offering refuge in July 2021 followed by the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August.
They were slated to be on the first flight out of Afghanistan, but were delayed because her brothers-in-law’s application was late being processed.
They eventually received an email from the Canadian government around Aug. 20 during the evacuation process of the country, providing her with facilitation letters for her entire family.
The only thing the family had to do was make their way to the Kabul airport for their safe removal — a task akin to crossing the frontlines of the First World War.
She said it was an incredibly frightening time because there was no one driving on the roads in Kabul except armed Taliban forces.
From the day she received the email to Aug. 26, when Canada completed evacuations from the city, the family went to the airport six times — but each visit they were left behind.
"We spent one night and one day outside the airport without eating anything and without going to the toilet, with four children," she said. "It was really difficult. There were thousands of people in that area, and also there were Taliban who were beating [people], who were firing everything. We put our lives at risk."
It was a challenging situation to navigate and hard to stick together as a family because there were seven people in a sea of tens of thousands trying to reach the airport gates toward safety.
In order to stick out in the crowd, the family was directed to wear red clothing to indicate they needed to get to Canada and be recognized by officials.
"In two days, we couldn’t reach the gate because [the] Taliban was firing [guns] and they also beat my husband two times. The children were crying. Because of that, we came back," she said.
While outside of the airport, they wanted to call to find out how to get in and escape to freedom with one of their handlers.
"It was really difficult for the people who were outside without knowing anyone inside to enter the gate."
They later received a message on the morning of Aug. 26 indicating there was a high-security alert warning the family to leave the area near the airport.
"Sometimes I remember those days, it was scary. All of us took each other’s hands and we were moving to get outside, but people were getting inside in that area," she said, describing the chaotic scene.
It took around two hours to leave the area and get a taxi to go home. That afternoon they received news of an explosion in the place they had been waiting. When they returned, the newcomer said, they could see scarring on the landscape from the damage.
One of her most vivid memories from their ordeal at the Kabul airport was a storm drain that served as a barrier between those looking to flee and military members of countries from around the world who could secure their safety.
They stood in the space with their children, waving their facilitation papers to try and get the attention of the military. It was a horrific scene, she said, as they tried to find help, because it had become a war zone and dead bodies surrounded them.
"We put our lives at high risk to get to Canada," she said.
During the evacuation, each family member carried a small bag with only the most essential items.
Despite the family’s brave efforts to escape Kabul, they were left behind when Canadian evacuations were completed.
The newcomer said they faced crushing disappointment at the end of August when they learned Canadians had finished their evacuations and would not have another flight for those seeking refuge.
It was heartbreaking because they did not know what happened and feared they would be trapped in Kabul at the mercy of the Taliban.
She emailed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and told them what happened, hoping to find out what would happen next if the family had any hope of evacuation from Kabul.
"I just received an automated reply," she said, explaining the evacuation had ended and the family would be informed of any changes that took place.
The family waited for one month, struggling to figure out what their future looked like — they were constantly on the move because they were known to the Taliban due to their attempt to flee the country. They lived with different relatives for days at a time, abandoning their home and hoping for escape.
"We were in danger. Taliban were searching at that time for women activists, military officers. They were searching for the people who attempted to go," she said.
In Afghanistan, she had worked with national and international non-profits. Her work led to connections with the Canadian embassy in Afghanistan through the World Peace and Security Group that was advocating for the inclusion of women in the peace process in Afghanistan. The project was funded by the Government of Canada.
This partnership led to her special immigration status.
The newcomer added she considers herself lucky because she had connections to Manitoba Sen. Marilou McPhedran who helped advocate for the family’s safety and settlement in Canada.
The family’s name was put on many lists for refugee status, including in the United States, with the intent of helping the family evacuate from Afghanistan and find safety.
On Oct. 5, after waiting more than a month for help, she once again reached out to the IRCC to see if it would be worth it to get into a neighbouring country for evacuation, such as moving to Pakistan.
After five days she received a response, so she emailed any email address she had that was associated with the IRCC to figure out how to move forward.
The cogs of the machine began moving thanks to her relationship to the non-profit Right to Play. Her connection with sports and child development led to a way to find freedom.
On Oct. 14, while still waiting for visas to Pakistan, the family ended up making their way from Kabul to Qatar — carrying with them only a 20 kg bag, each with a couple of sets of clothes and the bare essentials.
Their departure turned into two months of transit trying to get to Canada.
They stayed in Qatar for more than a month, waiting to find out what the next steps of their journey would be. The newcomer said the family had arrived in the country expecting to be there for only a couple of days, and it was frustrating continuing to live with constant uncertainty.
"I was disappointed they were counting us under the special measure. Then why are they not providing us with that opportunity?," she said.
On Nov. 24 they were then sent to Albania. It was almost one month until they were able to make their way to Canada.
"The main disappointment for me from the beginning was when I was sending emails and then not receiving any response," she said. Each email felt like life or death and she could not understand why she did not receive a response or any offers of support.
While in Albania she received a call from the International Office of Immigration connected with the Government of Canada telling her the family would fly to Canada via Frankfurt, Germany, to Winnipeg on Dec. 28.
She noted in September the family had received an email from the German government offering refuge. She had worked with the country in the past.
The family debated if they should alter their final destination to Germany as her parents and brother now call that country home.
However, from the beginning of their journey, they were happy to be heading to Canada because they had heard good things and had contacts in the country.
The family eventually arrived in the Wheat City in the late evening of Dec. 29 after a stop in Toronto.
"I was thinking it was a district of Winnipeg … I didn’t get that we are travelling for two hours," she said. "I thought it would be 10 minutes or 20 minutes of travel."
They had never heard of the city until they pulled up to their temporary home in the community.
The family soon realized it was a small city and now worries about the future when it comes to opportunities for the children and employment.
It is also challenging because they have no relatives in Brandon or other Afghan families who can relate to their experiences.
"When you are in a new country, in a new place, you need some more support. And when you are Afghans they are all very socialized people. They have big families and they are going to each other’s houses — they have that kind of moral support," she said. "In a new country, we would need more of that. But, here the main problem that we have is we don’t have anything to do and we don’t have any relatives here to talk to."
These connections with peers are critical because they have shared experiences and can help the family adapt and adjust to life in Canada as they learn to navigate new systems and social norms. She added there is no better support than from peers because they can understand and relate to what the family is going through.
The family appreciates the support provided by Westman Immigrant Services as they try to adjust to life in Brandon, she said, but it is hard to settle when they do not know where the foundation for their family will be.
The family is hoping to relocate to Toronto and is in discussions with Westman Immigrant Services about how and if this would be possible. They have relatives in Toronto who could support the move and cover travel costs.
They have asked relatives if they could find a house and help support them as they settle in the new country, she said, because they are eager to plant roots in Canada.
They are also looking to understand what moving from Brandon to Toronto would look like — including the differences in culture, housing and daily costs.
"My children, I want them to be admitted to schools and start their schooling and education," she said.
After an orientation with IRCC, they were told they may receive similar support from service providers in Toronto, but they would not be the first priority because they were sent to Brandon. She added most Afghan refugees want to settle in Toronto, which would further affect the services they receive.
"There are pros and cons if we stay here or if we move to Toronto. I have to analyze both and decide the best," she said.
Prior to the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, she said, they were a family that kept busy; the children were in school and had friends, and she and her husband had fulfilling jobs.
Even after the Taliban took over, she was able to work from home and now feels unmoored as she searches for employment in Brandon.
"We have to work. We have to have a job so we can survive," she said. "I don’t want to be dependent on the government. I’m grateful they will support us for one year. But, still, I will struggle and I will start to work."
The newcomer said her family has a strong desire to be independent so they can start building their lives in Canada.
"We can build our lives here. We have aims. We have goals."
They are finding their way in the community, she said, patience will be key as they are new and it will take time to settle and find their footing.
For the last six months they did not have any proper plans for the day and she worries about the long-term impacts this will have on her children. The young people did not receive an education during the journey to Canada, and leapt at any opportunity to gain knowledge.
The family has their heart set on relocation to Toronto but they do not know when or how to make this happen.
It is hard to look to the future now, she added, because they are in a new country, community, and life they are trying to adapt to.
"We are still confused with what we should do next. What will happen in our life next? How do we settle ourselves in this society?," she said. "We are curious to learn about everything here."
» ckemp@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp