Canada to Host 40,000 Afghan Refugees After Taliban Takeover, Prime Minister Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Canada will accept 40,000 refugees from Afghanistan following the military takeover by the Taliban*, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday.

"Canada is welcoming 40,000 refugees and we’re urging others to step up their support to safely resettle refugees, too," Trudeau tweeted.

In September, Canadian Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said that the country would resettle over 20,000 Afghans from particularly vulnerable groups threatened by the Taliban, including women, rights workers, and targeted minorities.

The Taliban entered the Afghan capital of Kabul in mid-August, which led to the collapse of the previous US-backed government, and mass evacuations of foreigners and nationals seeking to escape Afghanistan in fear of the movement. The large-scale evacuation operation was completed on 31 August along with the pullout of international forces.

The Taliban then gained control over Afghanistan in early September by completing the offensive against the last standing province of Panjshir and announced a new all-male government, led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a former foreign minister during the previous Taliban rule, who has been under UN sanctions since 2001.

*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.