Veteran working to bring former Afghan interpreter's extended family to Halifax

When Jonathon Monaghan served with the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan in 2009 he formed a bond with his Afghan interpreter that endures to this day.

Now Monaghan and his wife, Kara, are trying to get his former interpreter, his wife and 30 members of his extended family to the security of Halifax.

Monaghan said they are applying for permanent residence for the family under a special Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada provision for extended families of former Afghan interpreters.

CBC News is protecting the former interpreter's identity for his personal safety. The man and his family are in hiding in Kabul.

Monaghan's job in Afghanistan was to make contact with the locals to develop an information chain and gather intelligence, he said, and his friend was his main interpreter.

"When we put ourselves in harm's way when we were in Afghanistan, our interpreters were standing right next to us," Monaghan said. "Not behind us or hiding or at the back of the group. They were right next to us."

After returning to Canada, Monaghan worked to get his former interpreter Canadian citizenship and he settled in Toronto in 2017 where he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

But his friend found it hard living alone and when he learned that his mother was ill in Afghanistan, he returned to look after her. While there, his mother arranged a marriage for him and died a short time later.

When the Taliban took over the country in 2021, he found himself trapped there with his pregnant wife, two brothers and two sisters and their families. 

The former interpreter is the only member of his family with travel documents, Monaghan said, and the other 31 family members are hoping to get their documents when the passport offices are opened in the next two weeks.

Speaking to CBC News from Kabul over the phone using a secure connection to Monaghan as a relay, the former interpreter said he was picked up two days ago by the Taliban and beaten badly.

He said one of his brothers worked for the police under a past government, another worked for the air force and a sister worked for intelligence. They all feel they are targets.

For their safety, he said he and his family members have been changing their locations frequently. The children in the family have also not been able to attend school for fear of them being kidnapped.

He said he and his family are eternally grateful for Monaghan's loyalty and for the work he is doing to get them to Halifax.