Ottawa should compensate Afghan interpreters, ombudsperson says

The facade of the headquarters of the Department of National Defence is pictured in Ottawa, on April 3, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — A military watchdog says Ottawa should financially compensate Afghan Canadians who served as interpreters for the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan and later suffered mental distress.

A report by the ombudsperson for the Department of National Defence says the language and cultural advisers who worked during Canada’s involvement in the Afghanistan conflict were ultimately failed by the department.

Robyn Hynes says Ottawa should order independent assessments and determine on a case-by-case basis if they need compensation for suffering from conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ottawa hired 81 of these advisers to work from 2006 to 2014 in the war-torn country on prolonged deployments outside the safety of bases.

They would later face difficulty accessing benefits and supports, since they aren’t covered under the same policies as military members.

The report says Defence Minister Bill Blair has pledged support but the federal government has so far failed to help them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press