The bureaucratic error that cost a family their freedom

Plus, cell service on the TTC and tackling neglect at Catholic all-girls schools [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on one Afghan family’s hellish experience, TTC cell service and disparities at Toronto’s all-girls Catholic schools. DON’T MISS Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images international [How a botched letter from Canada condemned a family to torment in Afghanistan]( A. Afzaly (whose full name the Star is not publishing for security reasons) worked as a translator and fixer in Afghanistan for Canadian media, including the Star and the CBC. When the Taliban captured Kabul in 2021, the man reached out to Canadian friends he had previously helped report on the conflict. A group of journalists contacted their networks, urging them to put Afzaly’s family’s name on the evacuation list. But when the family received their facilitation letter via email, there was a small, bureaucratic mistake. [Ehsanullah Amiri reports on the error — and how it cost the family their freedom and safety](. - By the numbers: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says Canada is committed to resettling at least 40,000 Afghans by the end of 2023 and so far more than 29,000 have arrived. - More: “I called, and emailed IRCC a lot. But nobody answered me. I don’t have mental peace,” said Afzaly, who now lives in Germany. “I am always worried about how my family gets out of Afghanistan. They are at risk.” - Word from the IRCC: “For the safety and security of all involved, we cannot comment on specific cases,” a spokesperson said when asked about Afzaly. Toronto Star File Photo transit [Rogers will take over TTC subway cellphone service]( With a deal to acquire the Canadian operations of BAI Communications Inc., the company that earned the contract to provide service on Toronto’s subway network in 2012, Rogers is getting ready to provide wireless service on the city’s subway system. The deal could resolve a long-standing obstacle that left most TTC riders without cell service underground while answering a call to implement protections over public safety concerns on transit. Robert Benzie, Alyshah Hasham and Ben Spurr lay out [the current state of cell service and what the Rogers takeover could mean for the city](. - Wait, what? It’s unclear whether the deal will provide connectivity for all Torontonians on the subway or just Rogers customers. - Word from City Hall: If a telecom giant like Rogers does buy out BAI, the new provider should bring its competitors on board as part of the package to ensure all TTC customers get coverage, said Coun. Paul Ainslie, who said he has no direct knowledge of a potential deal. - The latest: Offences against riders and employees fell in February. [Here’s what else TTC data shows — and what it doesn’t](. Richard Lautens/The Star education [How Toronto’s Catholic school board is tackling decades of neglect in all-girls sports facilities]( At all-girls schools in Toronto Catholic District School Board, athletes are leaving class early to commute to practice, dropping out of sports and faring with discarded syringes at public parks. The conditions of sports facilities are “generally abysmal, inadequate or not as favourable,” compared to its all-boys and coed schools, which is why trustees in March voted to make improvements. But with space constraints and a $25 million deficit, what will that look like? [Isabel Teotonio reports on the disparate realities across the school board and what may lie ahead](. - More: The student council vice-president at one school called sport “an important part of adolescent development” that leads to “higher self-esteem, better body image, and a stronger sense of collaboration and leadership skills.” So why “deprive” those who attend all-girls schools, asked the Grade 12 student. - More: The chair of the school’s parent council expects the board will develop a strategy that explores partnerships with the city, province and private sector, saying “This has got to be a compelling story for all our governments and potential donors: That our daughters should have equal ability to succeed as their brothers would.” WHAT ELSE Canada is expected to unveil more sanctions, military and financial aid during the Ukraine prime minister’s visit. [Here’s what we know](. Convicted of drug trafficking and rape, this cop still collects his paycheque. [Why it’s hard to fire police even when they’ve been found guilty](. A claim that a Canadian energy company was the target of a Russian cyberattack [highlights our vulnerability — or it’s fake](. The City of Toronto will now be reporting shelter resident deaths [biannually instead of on a monthly basis](. A Louisville bank employee opened fire at his workplace Monday and [livestreamed the attack that killed five](. The Dalai Lama is apologizing after a [video of him kissing a boy, telling him to “suck my tongue.”]( Markham’s Muslim community is asking the government to bolster anti-Islamophobia action after an [alleged hate-motivated attack at a mosque last week](. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is facing an ethics investigation. [Here’s what you need to know](. Max, the dog abandoned in a Toronto parkette, [is officially up for adoption](. Toronto is a graveyard of bad ideas. [Why is Doug Ford so keen to add to it?]( How one family went for net zero — [their simple, low-cost tips may surprise you](. Let's talk about that shocking [“Succession” Season 4 plot twist](. POV Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images [Doomsaying is as much marketing as anything else. It’s unlikely our AI creations will take over the world.]( CLOSE-UP Ebrahim Noroozi/AP KABUL: Afghan school girls attend class on March 25, the first day of the new school year — even though high schools and universities remain closed for women and girls under Taliban rule. [Here’s what four Afghan women had to say about being denied education for 500 days](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_175872). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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