内容摘要：Sooriyakumari’s husband, Rasenthiram, died during an attack near Mullivaikkal while trying to protect others.

Sooriyakumari’s husband, Rasenthiram, died during an attack near Mullivaikkal while trying to protect others.

A deepening humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Afghanistan as neighbouring countries force tens of thousands of Afghans to return home.More than 280,000 Afghans were deported or pressured to leave Pakistan and Iran in April alone. Many arrived destitute, desperately needing assistance to rebuild their lives. Their stories reveal the precarious futures they now face.

Ezatullah, 45, recently entered Afghanistan through the Torkham border with his wife and seven children.“They told us to leave urgently,” he said. “All of our belongings were left behind; everything was lost. We now have nothing.”Born and raised in Pakistan, Ezatullah worked as a labourer in Rawalpindi his entire life. Now he faces the daunting challenge of supporting his family in a country he’s never known – one where unemployment and poverty have escalated dramatically, leaving half the population reliant on humanitarian aid for survival.

Pakistan and Iran have hosted the majority of the region’s 5.25 million Afghan refugees and asylum seekers for decades. However, economic downturns in both countries have prompted growing hostility towards Afghan communities.Returnees face significant risks to their safety and rights in Afghanistan.

Women and girls are particularly vulnerable due to increasing restrictions on their ability to work in certain sectors, access education, and move freely.

Ethnic and religious minorities, human rights advocates, and journalists also face heightened dangers upon return.“The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades, is changing,” Charles acknowledged early on. “Canada’s relationships with partners are also changing.”

But moments later, Charles hailed shifting Canada-US ties as an example of the new opportunities created by change, in his only direct reference to Trump.“The prime minister and the president of the United States, for example, have begun defining a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States,” he said, “rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations.”

In striking that balance, the speech was “actually quite remarkable”, historian Vovk said.“There was really that emphasis on cooperation between Canada and the United States,” he said. “I think there was a lot in that speech that Donald Trump should or will likely be happy about.”