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       A Canadian Armed Forces Medic assists Afghan refugees who supported Canada’s mission in Afghanistan disembarking a CC-150 Polaris aircraft at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada August 13, 2021.

       CPL RACHAEL ALLEN/DND/Reuters

       Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says Canadian Special Forces have been given the “flexibility” to rescue Canadians and former Afghan support staff and bring them to the safety of the Hamid Karzai airport in Kabul for evacuation flights to Canada.

       The United States has come under criticism for refusing to send U.S. troops outside the security of the airport perimeter even though British and French special forces have carried out rescue missions in Kabul.

       The British and French put their special forces into action because of reports of Taliban hunting down former Afghan interpreters and fixers. Afghans attempting to flee have also faced difficulty getting through a network of Taliban checkpoints lining the route to the airport.

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       At a news conference Sunday, Mr. Sajjan said that Canadian Special Forces are empowered to do what is necessary to get people safely to the airport.

       “For obvious reasons, I cannot divulge the situation of exactly what our troops are doing. But one thing I can say is that they have all the flexibility to be able make the appropriate decisions so they can take actions,” he said.

       Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino also told the same news conference that “all of our forces have the full operational discretion to take whatever actions [are] necessary to get as many people into the airport on to those flights.”

       The Pentagon has said the 5,200 U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan are not authorized to go outside the perimeter of the airport. Hundreds of desperate Afghans have stormed the terminal and tarmac of the facility, hoping to catch evacuation flights out.

       Mr. Sajjan said there have been “many, many opportunities where people in the Canadian Armed Forces have been able to get Canadian citizens and Afghan nationals to safety,” he said. “Ever single time they took the opportunity, they have weighted the risk.”

       A senior government official said the minister was referring to Canadian Special Forces efforts at the airport and not any rescue mission in the capital where armed Taliban militants are patrolling the streets. The Globe is not identifying the official, who was not authorized to discuss operation details.

       Pressed on the risk and the type of mounting rescue operations in Kabul, such as using helicopters or buses, Mr. Sajjan said that he is “not discounting anything.”

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       “I have to be very careful what I say about what they are doing, even the possibility of doing something because you never know when an opportunity may come up and an action that they have to take,” he said.

       Not Left Behind, a group of Canadian veterans and volunteers trying to get former Afghan interpreters and support staff out of Afghanistan, has been particularly critical of Canada’s handling of the evacuation operations.

       “While other countries have taken steps to help their citizens safely travel to the Kabul airport, Canadian applicants have been told to fend for themselves,” the group said in a statement Sunday. “We need to help Afghans safely reach the Kabul airport.”

       The government announced Sunday that just over 1,100 people have been airlifted out of Kabul with 121 flown out Saturday aboard Canadian Forces Globemaster aircraft.

       Although there have been complaints from people going to the airport that they have not been able to find any Canadian Forces personnel, Mr. Sajjan insisted soldiers are present at all the entry points.

       Mr. Mendicino acknowledged the significant challenges of exiting the country facing expatriates and former Afghan interpreters and fixers who worked for Canada. Taliban checkpoints on the road to Kabul’s airport “makes getting this done perilous.”

       He urged people in safe houses to wait until they received either a phone call or text to proceed to the airport.

       After the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, Canada didn’t renew evacuation flights until late Thursday. There were also widespread complaints of frustration with bureaucratic red tape, including requirements of documents, such as passports, which most Afghanis do not have.

       “I have instructed that processing be accelerated, resources be added and that all red tape be cut without compromising security,” Mr. Mendicinio said.

       Canada is trying to rescue 6,000 former Canadian support staff and their families from Afghanistan before the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Kabul airport. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said many of those will have to leave Afghanistan for a third country to apply for resettlement in Canada because of the U.S. deadline to end evacuation flights.

       Another 15,000 Afghans who are living in refugee camps outside Afghanistan are also eligible for settlement in Canada.

       In addition, Mr. Mendicino said immigration officials are making it a priority to process family reunification cases of citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons with immediate family members in Afghanistan.

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