Taliban Refugees Reported Coming to Canada

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 14, 2001

Taliban Refugees Reported Coming to Canada

Canadian immigration officers say they're bracing for a flood of refugee claimants from Afghanistan who say they are Taliban supporters fleeing to avoid persecution by the Northern Alliance and other groups, the local newspaper the Toronto Sun reported Thursday.

Officers said they have had a few Afghan claimants who alleged they were being persecuted by Northern Alliance warlords and by members of an interim government that is due to take power December 22.

However, federal immigration spokesman Rene Mercier said he had "no knowledge of any massive movement of Afghans to Canada to file refugee claims."

Immigration and Refugee Board spokesman Dominique Forget said each claim will be reviewed by her board.

"We have an obligation to screen every claim referred to us," Forget said, adding her officials cannot predict the number of claimants they will receive from Afghanistan.

Canada received 340 Afghan claimants from January to September of this year and 480 last year.