Canada won't let this Afghan refugee in from the U.S. His family worries the Taliban might kill him back home

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World

A U.S. justice has granted Mohammad Younesi support to question to the Canadian borderline to assertion asylum. But his petition to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for a licence to marque that hap was rejected.

Mohammad Younesi has been successful ICE detention successful Texas for astir a twelvemonth and faces deportation to Afghanistan

Idil Mussa · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 12, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 12

Canada denies licence for Afghan exile facing deportation from U.S.

Mohammad Younesi’s household received asylum successful Canada aft fleeing Afghanistan, but Younesi ended up successful the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aft being separated from his family. Now, aft being denied a impermanent nonmigratory licence to participate Canada, Younesi could beryllium sent backmost to Afghanistan, wherever his household worries he’ll beryllium killed. [Correction: A erstwhile mentation of this video statement said that the household was smuggled retired of Afghanistan. In fact, they fled the state aft securing humanitarian visas from Brazil.]

It's hard for Shafiqa Jalali to speech astir her lad Mohammad Younesi without crying.

Jalali, her husband, their four big children and daughter-in-law each recovered asylum successful Canada aft fleeing the Taliban's regularisation successful Afghanistan successful 2024.

The household secured humanitarian visas from Brazil and paid quality smugglers thousands of dollars to usher them by onshore done 10 countries, including Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, arsenic good as the Darién Gap, a 100-kilometre agelong of jungle connecting North and South America that's considered one of the astir treacherous migration pathways successful the world.

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"We knew that we mightiness suffer our lives," 57-year-old Jalali told CBC News done a Farsi translator. "But we were inactive hopeful to marque it."

Shafiqa Jalali, the parent of Mohammad Younesi, sits for a representation successful a location for newly-landed asylum claimants, successful Toronto, connected July 8, 2025.

Although they didn't question arsenic a household unit, everyone made it to Canada safely and was granted exile protection — but Jalali's youngest son, Mohammad. The 27-year-old was arrested by ICE agents successful Arizona and has been successful an migration detention installation successful Livingston, Texas, conscionable northbound of Houston, for astir a year.

Jalali says she fears U.S. officials volition nonstop Younesi backmost to Afghanistan, wherever helium was antecedently tortured by the Taliban for his quality rights work.

"I privation the Canadian authorities to assistance my son, truthful that helium tin travel present and beryllium agreed with us, truthful that we tin person a mean life," said Jalali.

"He is not doing well."

'My beingness is successful information successful Afghanistan'

Under the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, radical indispensable assertion asylum successful whichever state they get to first, which means they can't permission the U.S. to question exile presumption successful Canada — though determination are immoderate exceptions, including for household members of Canadian citizens oregon imperishable residents, similar Younesi.

A U.S. justice has granted Younesi support to question to the Canadian borderline to assertion asylum. But his lawyer's petition to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for a impermanent nonmigratory licence to let that was rejected successful June.

"He is presently facing removal to Afghanistan," said Erin Simpson with the steadfast Landings LLP.

In a missive to Simpson, a lawman migration programme serviceman astatine the Consulate General of Canada's Los Angeles bureau wrote that impermanent nonmigratory permits "can beryllium issued lone successful exceptional circumstances, oregon connected occasion, erstwhile compelling Canadian interests are served. After a cautious and sympathetic reappraisal balancing each of the factors, I person determined that determination are insufficient grounds to merit the issuance of a licence successful your case."

This photograph of Mohammad Younesi was texted by his smugglers to his member to beryllium helium was live and had made it to the U.S.-Mexico border.

In an email statement to CBC News, the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada wrote that owed to privateness legislation, it could not remark connected Younesi's case.

It is perfectly not an overstatement to accidental that it is simply a substance of beingness and death.- Erin Simpson, Mohammad Younesi's lawyer

"It is perfectly not an overstatement to accidental that it is simply a substance of beingness and death," said Simpson. "And that has been our accordant connection to the [immigration] curate and our plea for this licence to beryllium issued."

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According to a signed affidavit submitted to U.S. officials, Younesi fled Afghanistan aft being kidnapped, beaten and forced to execute tract labour successful December 2023 because of his enactment with an NGO assisting susceptible women and girls.

"My beingness is successful information successful Afghanistan, and returning would mean facing unit and persecution by the Taliban erstwhile again," reads the sworn declaration.

Long trek

The Taliban retook power of the state successful 2021 aft the withdrawal of U.S. forces and different allies. The United Nations reports that women's rights person deteriorated drastically arsenic a result, with "oppressive directives that people the rights, autonomy, and precise beingness of Afghan women and girls."

The household of Mohammad Younesi, who fled Taliban persecution successful Afghanistan, are pictured astatine a location provided by Romero House which helps settee caller refugees successful Toronto.

Younesi said helium escaped by moving distant aft being sent to enactment successful the fields. "I seized the accidental to fly and hid successful my aunt's house. Since then, the Taliban person continued searching for me, forcing maine to fly Afghanistan."

Younesi near Afghanistan with his member and large sister-in-law successful July 2024. The trio travelled to Iran, wherever they obtained a humanitarian visa to spell to Brazil. They made the arduous travel done South and Central America together, but were separated successful Mexico.

Although the expectant couple were detained concisely by migration officials successful California, they were allowed to proceed their travels to Canada, unlike Younesi who was arrested and held by U.S. authorities.

This photograph of Mohammad Younesi was taken successful a parkland successful Sao Paulo, Brazil earlier he, his member and sister-in-law started their travel to North America.

Soon afterward, Jalali, her hubby and 3 big children made the aforesaid journey. They, too, were arrested by ICE officials, but were yet released from custody with instructions to be U.S. migration tribunal hearings. After that, they continued connected their travel to Canada to assertion asylum.

"Anyone who ends up [in detention] would beryllium scared. It was scary for america and it's scarier for Mohammad, due to the fact that helium has been determination for a overmuch longer time," said Jalali, who often speaks to her lad by phone.

"He says that helium doesn't cognize what volition hap to him and to his life."

'It's precise hard for the household to truly determination forward'

Jalali and her household are being housed by Romero House, a exile colony centre successful Toronto. The organization's enforcement director, Francesca Allodi-Ross, said the household has had trouble celebrating the information they've been accepted arsenic refugees with Younesi's aboriginal successful question.

"It's precise hard for the household to truly determination guardant with this hanging implicit them," said Allodi-Ross.

Francesca Allodi-Ross, enforcement manager astatine Romero House, says Canada is known for being a spot of invited for refugees and immigrants and the authorities should unrecorded up to that estimation by granting a impermanent nonmigratory licence for Mohammad Younesi truthful helium tin beryllium reunited with his household and beryllium safe.

"We cognize what's happening successful the U.S. It's precise unpredictable. People are being deported to countries that are not adjacent their own, similar El Salvador oregon Mexico oregon Sudan. And truthful each time that passes, there's a hazard that helium volition beryllium sent determination unsafe."

Unable to clasp backmost her tears, Jalali said she has a hard clip sleeping, eating oregon going retired knowing her lad is incarcerated successful the U.S.

"I person been determination and erstwhile I deliberation astir Mohammad, it conscionable breaks my heart."

Allodi-Ross said Younesi is unsocial and has nary 1 to support him. But that could change.

"I deliberation there's a batch of speech astir what it means to beryllium Canadian close now," she said.

"Being a spot of invited for refugees and immigrants and radical who privation to physique a amended life, is an important portion of who we are. And truthful I'm calling connected the Canadian authorities to unrecorded up to that estimation and instrumentality this simple, humane enactment of granting the impermanent nonmigratory licence for Mohammad and helping him reunite with his household and beryllium safe."