Photo: Fatima Shbair Associated Press Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada created a program to offer temporary visas to people stuck in the besieged Palestinian territory, provided relatives can support them later in Canada.
Stéphane Blais – The Canadian Press
February 24, 2024
- Canada
Alexandre Boulerice, deputy leader of the New Democratic Party (NPD), and Québec solidaire (QS) MP Guillaume Cliche-Rivard held a press conference Friday morning in front of the Montreal offices of the Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, to ask him to facilitate the issuance of visas to relatives of Canadians who are trying to flee the war in Palestine.
Both political parties are urging the government to eliminate “its arbitrary limit on Palestinians” and ensure that loved ones are reunited with their families more quickly.
“People die every day, hundreds of people die every day and the federal government has a responsibility to accelerate the process to save lives, prevent further human loss,” denounced MP Alexandre Boulerice.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) created a program to offer temporary visas to people stuck in the besieged Palestinian territory, provided that relatives can later support them in Canada.< /p>
But this policy stipulates that it will only examine 1000 applications, which constitutes an injustice to Canadians of Palestinian origin, according to the NDP and QS.
“Where does this figure of 1000 people come from ? We have been extremely kind and welcoming to the Syrians and the Ukrainians. Why we can’t do exactly the same thing with the Palestinians right now ? That’s what we don’t understand,” added the NDP MP.
She loses her daughter and tries to save her sister
A few dozen people gathered in front of Marc Miller's offices to support the approach of the two deputies.
Samar Alkhdour, whose 13-year-old daughter died in Gaza a few weeks ago, was among them.
“It was the system that failed Jana,” said the grieving mother who is now trying to save her sister’s life.
“Imagine for a moment watching your beloved family members slowly die before your very eyes and in front of the whole world. You watch this with complete helplessness and despair. But for me, it's not imaginary, it's a reality. All I expect from the government today is to facilitate the arrival of my sister and her family in Canada before it is too late. Please,” Samar Alkhdour begged.
The 38-year-old woman, who works at an immigrant support center in Montreal, arrived in Quebec as an asylum seeker with two of her three children in 2019.
Her third child, the one who died a few weeks ago, was not able to make the trip to Canada at the time. She had stayed with family members in Gaza due to health problems.
Samar Alkhdour's goal was to bring her daughter over once she obtained permanent residency. But the war came to Gaza and Samar Alkhdour tried to have it urgently evacuated, without success.
Her daughter Jana was found dead due to malnutrition, according to her mother, in a church that served as a shelter on January 8. Four days after his 13th birthday.
“I couldn't grieve for Jana because today I have to continue fighting to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to my sister and her family », indicated the woman of Palestinian origin.
Her sister is not part of the list of 1,000 applications being examined by the Government of Canada as part of the program aimed at offering temporary visas to people stuck in the Palestinian territory.
“I applied, but I haven’t received a code yet,” she explained.
Her Palestinian husband taken in Rafah
Dina Ibrais, who is 21 years old, experiences the same kind of anxiety as Samar Alkhdour.
This Canadian citizen lives with her 9-month-old son in Quebec and is trying to bring to the country her husband, a Palestinian, who has not yet seen his child.
“I made the last request, the one announced on January 9, but nothing happens, I have no response. »
She told The Canadian Press that 38 people in her extended family have died since the start of the war.
“My husband is in Rafah and Israel says they are going to attack Rafah soon, they have bombs and planes, we have nothing, I just want to get my husband out,” the woman said in tears.
No presence on the ground
Currently, 976 applications are being examined. The Immigration Department began accepting visa applications on January 9.
In an email exchange with The Canadian Press, Jeffrey MacDonald, communications advisor for the department, said that as of February 19, six people who left Gaza on their own and whose visa application was in progress “were authorized to come to Canada”.
Also, there are “976 applications accepted in processing” and “under review”.
Individuals whose applications are “accepted for processing” must be screened for security purposes.
In the absence of personnel in this war zone, the federal government must carry out remote investigations, relying in particular on “local authorities”, explained the communications advisor.
“Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is not present on the ground to carry out the initial screening and collection of biometric data. Using the detailed biographical information provided by applicants, we are able to conduct a preliminary security check while individuals are still in Gaza,” explained Jeffrey MacDonald.
IRCC also indicated that Ottawa is transmitting “to the governments of Israel and Egypt, for approval, the names of individuals who have passed the preliminary admissibility and admissibility examination.”
IRCC says it is “deeply concerned about the safety of people in the region”.
As for whether Ottawa could potentially consider more than 1,000 reunification applications, the ministry responded “that IRCC continues to be flexible as it assesses the situation, including the number of applications received and the ability to facilitate the departure of eligible persons from Gaza so that they can travel to a safe third country.”