Afghan interpreters who helped Canadian soldiers were warned they have just 3 days to apply for resettlement

Interpreters and others who assisted Canada have been targeted by the resurgent Taliban
Afghan interpreters and others who assisted the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan have been told they have only three days to apply for a new government program to resettle in Canada. The federal government announced last week a temporary new program to help interpreters and their families flee what Ottawa describes as a rapidly deteriorating situation in the war-ravaged country. Those workers are believed to face a growing risk of being targeted by the Taliban, which is making significant gains as the United States withdraws its combat forces from the country.
“If they happen to be in an area that’s controlled by the Taliban or influenced by the Taliban, then their lives are in immediate danger,” said retired major-general Denis Thompson, who commanded a security task force in 2008 and 2009. “And not just their lives but the lives of their families.”
Prospective applicants for the resettlement program were informed in an email today that they have just three days to submit their applications, which require the completion of multiple online forms and the scanning of documents. “If you do not provide a completed application package within the next three days, we will conclude that you are not interested in participating in this Public Policy,” reads a section of the email sent to prospective applicants.
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Late Wednesday, however, a government spokesperson insisted the 72-deadline is not set in stone. One former interpreter for the Canadian military said the three-day timeline fails to take into account where most prospective applicants live.
“It is not enough … because almost all of the interpreters, some of them they live in a remote area,” said Abdul. CBC News has agreed not to publish his last name due to his safety concerns. Abdul said he has the paperwork and internet access he needs to complete the application for himself and his family, but he fears that others like him may not meet the deadline.
“The problem is lack of electricity, a lack of transportation,” he said. “And after that, they have to apply for the passport. So they have to prepare other documents for their children, for the members of their families. These are all the problems for this program …”.. Source: .cbc.ca