The resource guide below was created by CCAP in response to the 2021 humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. This guide is meant to provide the Afghan diaspora with resources to navigate the Canadian Afghan refugee resettlement process, connect with professionals that have offered their services in response to this crisis, learn about the humanitarian aid relief programs in place for Afghanistan, and link to other informational resources out there.
| Name | Title | Organization | Phone Number | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheba | Yusufzai | Olympia Immigration | info@olympiaimmigration.ca | 647-325-2905 | Services provided include refugee and asylum applications, family sponsorship, economic immigration, temporary visas, PR and Citizenship, Caregiver applications, LMIA applications and inadmissibility issues |
| Nilofar Ahmadi | Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public | NK Lawyers | kahmadi@nklawyers.ca | 416 238 7147 Fax: 416-640-4789 | |
| Khesrau Ahmadi | Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public | NK Lawyers | kahmadi@nklawyers.ca | 417 238 7147 Fax: 416-640-4789 | |
| Warda Shazadi Meighen | Refugee and Immigration lawyer | Landings LLP | wshazadimeighen@landingslaw.com | 416-363-1696 ext 104 | |
| Djwahid Taheri | Refugee and Immigration lawyer | Taheri Law Office | info@taherilaw.ca | 416-369-0706 | |
| Laheeb Akbarzad | Refugee and Immigration lawyer, Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) claims | Laheeb Akbarzad | lakbarzad@law-la.ca | (647) 588-2759 | |
| Aasia Rahguzar | rcicimmigration | rahguzar.immigration@gmail.com | |||
| Moshiri | Moshiri Immigration Services | info@moshiriconsulting.com | 647-677-5505 | ||
| Jenn | University of Pittsburg Centre for Governance and Markets | cgm@pitt.edu | Assistance with US Visa/US immigration. They have a team processing requests and acting quickly | ||
| Westway Immigration Services | info@westwayimmigration.com | 437-772-7711 | |||
| Golden Bird | Wahidkarimy2@gmail.com | 93700204054 | From Kabul. Free Service, Worked with USAF ISAF | ||
| Fasiha Nabizada | Translator | Independent (worked for a company supporting newcomer Afghans) | Farsi/Dari and Pashto; Document and live translation |
||
| Fahim Baloutch | Translator | Independent | info@rlspros.ca | 416-882-4994 | Farsi/Dari can understand and translate short documents in pashto |
| Fariha Qasimi | Translator | Independent | fariha.qasimi@hotmail.com | 647-513-2987 | Farsi/Dari |
| Rahim Akbarzai | Translator | Independent | rahim.akbarzai@gmail.com | 647-546-9350 | Farsi/Dari and Pashto Can be contacted anytime |
| Miral Sadat | Translator | ||||
| Narges Rezaie | WoodGreen Community Services | nrezaie@woodgreen.org | Toronto | ||
| Malini Singh | Manager of Newcomer Services – TNO | TNO | 647-242-3968 | Toronto | |
| Miral Sadat | Settlement counsellor / Translator | Newcomer Centre of Peel | msadat@ncpeel.ca | 1-888-306-0577 ext 724 | Peel Region/currently remote Can translate for free |
| Smile Canada | info@smilecan.org | 647-952-8135 | |||
| Gulaly Nawabi | Mental Health Support Worker | Afghan Women’s Organization Refugee & Immigrant Services | gnawabi@afghanwomen.org | 416-588-3585 (Ext. 225) | |
| Hamidullah Akbari | CAMH | akbari001@gmail.com | 647-879-1522 | ||
| Naszrin Arghoshi | Arghoshi Psychotherapy | naszrinarghoshimsw@gmail.com | |||
| Wajma Omer | Private Practice/The Therapy Centre | waj_omer@hotmail.com | (647) 697-6579 | Free single session for Afghans 12+ | |
| Arooba Syed | Private Practice/aroobatherapy | aroobasyedmsw@gmail.com | (437) 747-4648 | Free single session for Afghan folks 15 + in Ontario | |
| Mona Fakhry | Individual | insta: @mindfully_mona | |||
| Madina Wardak | Mental Health Social Worker | Individual | insta: burqasandbeer | ||
| Husna Safi | Clinical Social Worker/Therapist in Toronto | Private Practice/Wellnest Psycotherapy Services | (647) 493-0543 | ||
| Shinkay Karimi | Mental Health Case Manager | CotaCota | |||
| Sumaya Karimi | Registered Social Worker in Ontario | Individual | sumayakarimi@gmail.com | ||
| Geeti Siddiqi | Social Worker | Individual | geetisiddiqi94@gmail.com | (289) 400-9440 | |
| Yusra Baloch & Dyshni Sritharan | Therapist/Clinical Social Worker | Wellness Care Counselling | info@wellnesscarecounselling.com | 647-689-5843 | Culturally responsive services with therapists of colour. Virtual sessions avaialble across Canada; free single session for Afghans in Ontario 16 + |
| Restoration Mental Health Agency | resotrationmentalhealthagency@gmail.com | Psychotherapy; free single session for Afghans in Ontario 18+ | |||
| Renee Raymond | Althea Therapy (App) | Registered with IFHP for Refugee Mental Health and NIHB for Indigenous Mental Health. | |||
| Sara Stanizai | Prospect Therapy | contact@prospecttherapy.com | (562) 704-4736 | Afghan American / Afghan diaspora women’s support group. DM or follow @prospecttherapy for details. We are finishing up our current group and will start a new one shortly, free of charge, any location OK, run in English. | |
| Sotoda Saifi | sotodasaifitherapy | info@sotodasaifi.com | Free Trauma Therapy for Afghan Refugees online: UK, USA, or anywhere else | ||
| Mindwell Therapy Collective | Book a free consultation on the site, then a free single-session will be set up afterwards, 16+ | ||||
| Bereaved Families of Ontario | info@bfotoronto.ca | 416-440-0290 | Free one-to-one & group bereavement support, children, youth, young people and adults” | ||
| Colleen Boehme | Registered social worker | Individual | colleenboehmemsw@gmail.com | Free single session individual therapy, virtual, 18+ | |
| Chantée Dardaine | Individual | chantee@selfcareto.com | Free virtual therapy. Supports clients with anxiety, depression, grief/loss, PTSD, trauma all from a cultural adaptive, trauma informed lens, 18+ | ||
| Chilliwack Youth Health Centre | Free counselling to Afghan diaspora youth in BC who have been affected by current events. |
| Organization | Notes |
|---|---|
| Toronto Region Afghan Resettlement Fund | Launched in partnership with the City of Toronto, United Way, and Lifeline Afghanistan. |
| Waterloo Immigration Partnership Fund for Immigrant and Refugee Initiatives | The fund is a joint project between the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation, the Cambridge and North Dumfries Community Foundation, and the Immigration Partnership of Waterloo Region. |
| Calgary Afghan Refugee Resettlement Initiative | CCIS has been chosen as an Afghan refugee hub for Canada. As the designated port of entry, we anticipate that 5,000 Afghan refugees will arrive in Calgary within the next few months. An account specific to the Afghan refugees has been established. 100% of all monetary donations, will go directly towards assisting these newly arrived refugees. Official tax receipts will be issued on donation of $20.00. |
| IDRF Campaign | |
| Veterans Transition Network Canada | |
| Naan and Kabob | For every $2 donated, NK will match $1 and the money will be donated to Ummah Nabawiah’s Children’s Charity (UNACC) and Children without Borders (CWB) |
| Ummah Nabawiah Children’s Charity | |
| Children Without Borders | |
| Islamic Relief Canada | |
| Emergency Relief Afghanistan | Team in Afghanistan providing emergency aid, initiated by @khyberkhaan |
| Miles4Migrants | Recent Update: “Miles4Migrants has been closely following the devastating situation in Afghanistan. Over the past few weeks, we have been working expeditiously with our charity partners to help families escape the Taliban takeover of the Afghan government. Sadly, the takeover has increased at an alarming rate, and many – but not all – of the flights booked just days ago have already been cancelled. Miles4Migrants remains firmly committed to assisting our partners in getting Afghan families to safety. We stand ready to fulfill these flight requests as soon as we are able to do so” |
| Support Hospitals in Afghanistan: The Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO) is partnering with the Harvard Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) and the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) | |
| Emergency Funds for Afghan Artists | |
| Support Afghan Women Activists Fleeing the Taliban | “With a donation of $30, you can provide a woman human rights defender a safe haven and cover her basic needs for a day. For $210, you can support her for a week.We started this campaign to stand in solidarity with displaced women activists and their families and to help offset their cost of housing, including hotels and daily expenses.” |
| Artistic Freedom Intiative: Apply for Assistance (AMERICAN) | Artistic Freedom Initiative is currently accepting applications from at-risk artists in the United States and around the world seeking temporary and permanent residence in the US. Additionally, for at-risk artists already located in the United States, AFI is accepting applications from artists who fear persecution in their home countries and are seeking asylum in the US. |
| Avizeh | |
| Afghan-American Community Organization | |
| The Afghan Collective info@afghancollective.org instagram: @afghancollective | “The Afghan Collective will be working to prepare care packages for Afghan refugees arriving in Canada. Many of these refugees will arrive with limited resources and will be in need of essentials (i.e., personal hygiene items, and baby products). They are accepting monetary donations with 100% of the funds going towards the purchase of items. Please send your donations to: [info@afghancollective.org]. An update will be posted once the care packages are delivered.” |
| Care2give instagram: @care2give_ | Collecting donations for newly arrived refugees. (Toothbrushes, deodorant, hairbrushes, nail clippers, new clothes, clolour books and crayons) |
| Afghan Canadian Response instagram: @afghancanadianresponse | “Grassroots inititiative focused on emergency relief, resettlement aid, and groundlevel advocacy for the crisis in Afghanistan” |
| Salaam Foundation info@salaamfoundation.ca insta: @salaamfoundation.ca | 300 refugee families have arrived in the York Region and are in need of essential items. Individuals can drop off items or e-transfer at: donation@salaamfoundation.ca |
| Infowellnessworldwide@gmail.com linktree: Wellness Worldwide for Sustainable Communities instagram: @wellnessworldwide_ | Headquarter in Los Angeles, CA – operating in different regions of Afghanistan.We are an Afghan women led NGO currently operating in Afghanistan. We have been on the ground for 3 years now. Our projects include 1) complex medical care for Afghan children 2) a free clinic and pharmacy in a refugee camp in Nangarhar province, where 35k internally displaced people are gathered 3) emergency food aid programs. Two weeks ago we started distributing food, twice a day, for 1000 internally displaced people living in dire conditions in Kabul area. We are urgently raising funds to continue our distribution, moving on to Kunduz next, and have plans to expand our activity – including funding an OBGYN doctor for women’s health at our free clinic. This is a free service and purely volunteer based organisation with zero overhead costs. Every dollar goes to the Afghan people in need. |
| Title | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refugee Pathways (Canada) | How to navigate the refugee application process in Canada | |
| Resettling Afghans who assisted Canada: Volunteer and donate | If you’d like to help refugees arriving in Canada, you can volunteer or donate (clothing, furniture, or money) | Canadian government’s efforts |
| U.S. Embassy Kabul Repatriation Assistance Request 2021 | The U.S. Embassy in Kabul is collecting information from U.S. Citizens who may need assistance returning to the United States due to the security situation in Afghanistan. The information collected in this form will only be used by the U.S. government for the purpose of facilitating return travel to the United States. If you are not already enrolled, please sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at http://step.state.gov to ensure you receive travel and health notifications from the U.S. Embassy. | For American citizens stuck in Kabul |
| Emergency Support for Afghan Interpreters | VTN is accepting donations to provide shelter and support to interpreters in Afghanistan awaiting evacuation to Canada. | |
| In the Name of My People | Documentary about Afghanistan | |
| Refugee Claimants arriving in Canada from the United States | ||
| Leaving Afghanistan | What you need, what you need to do depending on which country you want to go to | International (Canadian advice included) |
| #Afghanistan Support: Information and Resources | This document aims to act as a repository of information and resources for Afghans (and those in Afghanistan) in need of support right now and/or those who wish to provide that support. I’m not an Afghan nor do I have expertise on the situation. This is just an effort to document/gather in one place all the ongoing initiatives and information available on an immediate/urgent basis. It is also an effort to amplify the voice and needs of the Afghans. | American |
| The Government of Canada | For assistance with immigration program for Afghans who assisted the Government of Canada, contact: Canada-Afghanistan@international.gc.ca. For the humanitarian program to resettle Afghans outside of Afghanistan or reuniting Afghan nationals with their families in Canada, contact: IRCC.SituationAfghanistan.IRCC@cic.gc.ca, phone number: +1 (613) 996-8885 | |
| A Thread on the Special Program for Afghans who Assisted Canada | Resettling Afghans who Assisted Canada: How it works and who can apply | |
Input your search keywords and press Enter.