Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said on Friday that Canada will accept some 20,000 Afghans at risk of reprisals from the Taliban, including women's leaders, human rights workers and news reporters.
This move adds to an earlier initiative welcoming thousands of Afghans who worked for the Canadian Government, such as interpreters, embassy workers and their families, Mendicino stated during a news conference.
"As the Taliban continues to take over more of Afghanistan, many more Afghans' lives are under increasing threat," he said.
Some Canadian special forces are in Afghanistan taking part in relocation missions, Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said.
"The challenges on the ground are quite immense," he added, but he offered no further details.
Canada's new plan will focus on those who are especially vulnerable, including persecuted religious minorities and members of the gay and lesbian community, Mendicino said.
Both people wishing to leave Afghanistan and those already in neighboring countries are included in the Canadian plan.
As resistance from government forces disintegrated, the Taliban were able to conquer Afghanistan's second and third largest cities.
"We know the situation is dire. It is getting worse by the hour," Mendicino revealed.