Canada needs to be as welcoming to Afghan refugees as it is to Ukrainians

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Fury personally greets Angelika, the first Ukrainian refugee off the plane at St. John's, NL, on May 9, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Greg Locke

“When we talk about systemic racism, we’re not talking about what the government intended; we’re looking at outcomes — and the outcomes speak for themselves,” says Sharry Aiken, a law professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

Since Afghanistan was forcibly returned to Taliban rule nine months ago, Canada has approved only 13,000 Afghan refugee applications for immigration.