Usually, flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) who come to Toronto stay in a hotel for the night, then meet up with their crew the next day and fly to their next destination.
However, more and more frequently, PIA flight attendants are not showing up, according to the airline. PIA says that at least eight flight attendants have gone missing in the past year and a half.
They left their jobs and are thought to have asked for protection in Canada, according to a spokesperson for the government airline.
More often happening
Abdullah Hafeez Khan said that at least eight flight attendants have disappeared after arriving at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. He said that these things have been happening for the past 10 years, but now they are happening more often.
“From around October 2022, more and more people have been seeking asylum,” Khan said in a video interview with CTVNews. ca from Karachi, Pakistan, where the airline is located.
None of the crew members who went missing in the past year and a half have returned. So they were allowed to stay in a new country for some reason, and that probably made other people want to do the same.
Khan said that the employees who were not there were let go right away and they lost their company perks.
Why did they run away.
Khan said he could only guess why the flight attendants ran away.
The Canadian government emphasized that Pakistan is a dangerous place to visit. They warned people about the high risk of terrorism, as well as civil unrest, sectarian violence, and kidnapping.
“The security situation is not stable and can change unexpectedly,” says the Canadian travel advisory. “Events usually happen because of extreme beliefs, differences between ethnic groups, conflicts between religious groups, and disagreements between nearby countries like Afghanistan. ”
Many people have been hurt or killed in bombings, shootings, and other terrorist attacks in many different places.
Khan thinks that the missing employees went to Canada to find a better life because he hasn’t heard from them.
“He said he thought they all got permission to live there because he didn’t think they were living there illegally. He also said they might have family in Canada who can help them. ”
‘PR crisis’
Khan said that PIA is having a “PR crisis” because flight attendants are disappearing, and this is bad for business because there aren’t enough crew members.
The airline is talking with Canadian and Pakistani authorities to find a way to prevent flight crew from trying to get asylum.
Erin Kerbel, who speaks for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said they couldn’t talk about the missing PIA flight attendants because of privacy laws.
The CBSA spokesperson said they can’t confirm any information about PIA’s claim of discussions happening.
Maria Ladouceur said the Canada Border Services Agency won’t say anything about specific people or any talks with airline companies because it’s private information protected by the Privacy Act.
“Since the crew members went missing, Khan said the airline has done many things to stop that from happening again. ”
For example, the airline is only having crew members who have family in Pakistan or have worked for the airline for a long time on flights to Toronto.
The airline doesn’t want to send people who are single or don’t have family in Pakistan to Toronto, the man said.
Khan said he and the airline can’t reach the flight attendants anymore because they found out that the flight attendants often change their phone numbers after disappearing in Toronto.
Who went missing.
The PIA flight attendants who went missing in Canada are experienced professionals in their late 30s or 40s. Some of them have been working for the airline for as long as 20 years, according to Khan.
“He said they never showed any indication that they would look for something like that. ” “So, this is something that worries us because it’s unexpected when something happens with people who have been working with us for a long time. ”
In February, the crew members were waiting for the bus to take them from the hotel in Toronto to the airport. But one of the flight attendants didn’t come. Khan said this happened in a recent case.
The airline couldn’t get in touch with the flight attendant on her phone or hotel phone, so they asked the hotel to make sure she was alright.
“Khan said when the crew went to the place, she left her uniform behind with a note that said, ‘Thank you PIA’. He thought it was a real thank you for her 15 years of working with PIA, not a joke. ”
Khan said the missing crew members were good people with successful jobs in Pakistan.
Laws about letting people seek safety in a new country.
People can ask to be refugees in Canada when they arrive at the border or online if they are already in Canada.
Canadian immigration or border officials will decide if the person can have a hearing with the Immigration and Refugee Board. The government says everyone who makes a claim needs to have their health and security checked.
If you are allowed to ask for help in Canada as a refugee, you can get social support, go to school, get health care, find a place to stay in an emergency, and get a lawyer while waiting for the government to decide if you can stay in the country. Many people can get a work permit after a doctor’s appointment.