The Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area (MAGMA) is seeking volunteers and resources for Afghan refugees it expects could arrive in the province later this month.
“We don’t know how many, we don’t know the family composition. But I believe within 10 to 14 days we will see activity in Moncton,” said Elizabeth Jonah, who is MAGMA’s community connections manager.
Earlier this week, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said the government is committed to resettling 20,000 refugees in the coming weeks.
Jonah said she is unsure how many refugees will arrive in this province, that decision she said is made by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada. But she said that MAGMA is putting a push on now to recruit volunteers in time for their arrival.
“A big one that we are going to focus on is family matching you know peer mentoring,” she said.
Finding volunteers and interpreters who speak Dari, Pashto and Farsi will be a challenge in a province without a large established Afghan community, said Jonah.
MAGMA is also making plans for temporary housing in hotels, but finding more permanent housing for potentially hundreds of refugees will be a challenge in a province already experiencing an affordable housing shortage, said Jonah
“It will require a table with the city and the province and our housing directives in this area.”
MAGMA will start taking donations of small household items early next week.
“Think about the first initial stages of what a family might need, linens, dishware, cutlery small appliance, coffee makers, toasters things like that,” she said.
Calls for larger donations such as furniture are expected in the coming months. Jonah said that while some refugees could arrive later this month, she expects the bulk of the refugees will arrive in the province closer to Christmas.
In neighbouring Nova Scotia, The Afghan Society of Halifax is watching events unfold in heartbreak said representative Gilmakai Sarvar.
“People are really scared. It is a really bad situation right now. Everyone is just trying to get out from there,” said Sarvar.
The society is already recruiting volunteers from its well-established Afghan community of about 300, she said.
“As soon as they are coming we will do as much as we could,” she said.