Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with a family of newly settled Afghan refugees on Saturday and said he was an important reminder of the beginning of the Thanksgiving weekend.
Trudeau met Obatura Rahimi, who started working at the Canadian Embassy in Kabul in 2008 and prepared a gift basket for a volunteer resettled Afghan family at his full-time hired last year in Ottawa. ..
“This is all about Thanksgiving and reflects how lucky we are,” Trudeau said.
Rahimi is now in Canada with a one and a half month old baby after his wife, three-year-old daughter, and Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban this year.
Mr. Rahimi said he loved working at the Canadian embassy and felt that the Canadians were friendly.
“Thank you, thank you for welcoming us here, and thank you for everything you did,” he said.
More than 1,000 refugees from Afghanistan have arrived in Canada since the Taliban took over their homeland in the summer.
The government has promised to reset 40,000 people from Afghanistan.
Trudeau said the Canadians were pleased that Rahimi and his family were safe.
“We are happy to bring you here for the next stage of your life,” Trudeau said.
“It’s important to be there for many of our compatriots who have suffered and frustrated in the Taliban. Worse, we continue to work together for a better future.”
There are many things to be thankful to Calgary’s Afghan families, even if they are not accustomed to celebrating their holidays.
According to Azatura, the family of 13 moved to a permanent home on Friday after staying in temporary accommodation since arriving in Canada a month and a half ago. He still has a family in Afghanistan, so he asked not to use his surname.
“Thanks to the Government of Canada for helping us in a very difficult time,” he said in an interview on Saturday. He is also grateful to the local organizations and people for helping his family find a home and providing information about life in Canada.
His family came to Canada because his late brother worked at the Canadian Embassy, he said. Azatura accompanied Canada to his mother, sister-in-law, and children of his brother.
He is worried about his two brothers, sisters and sister-in-law who are still in Afghanistan and wants to take them to Canada as well. He said the three nephews who took him to Canada came without a mother.
Still, he has hope for his future in Canada, and although this is a quiet Thanksgiving, he said he plans to celebrate next year’s holiday.
“I feel comfortable here.”
Stephanie Taylor and Jacob Celebrin
follow