Afghan translators and others who aided the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan have been informed they only have three days to register for a new government programme that would allow them to resettle in Canada. The federal government announced last week a temporary new programme to assist translators and their families fleeing the war-torn country, which Ottawa characterises as a rapidly deteriorating scenario.
These employees are said to be at increased danger of being attacked by the Taliban, which is gaining ground as the US withdraws its combat soldiers from the country. Prospective candidates for the resettlement programme were notified today via email that they only had three days to submit their applications, which include the completion of numerous online forms and the scanning of documents.
However, a government spokeswoman emphasised late Wednesday that the 72-hour limit is not fixed in stone. According to one former translator for the Canadian military, the three-day timeframe fails to account for where the majority of prospective candidates live.
Abdul stated that he has all of the necessary documents and internet access to finish the application for himself and his family, but he is concerned that others like him may miss the deadline. The federal government stated in a statement that the deadline provided to applicants is not set and that applications will be accepted after it expires.
The message did not explain why consumers were informed they only had three days to apply.
