Applications for the special program for Palestinians are starting to be accepted
The number of visas is strictly limited.
On Jan. 9, Tuesday, a special program of family reunification for people in Gaza launched. The special immigration arrangements mean that Palestinian passport holders in Gaza can obtain a Canadian residence permit upon application from their relatives in Canada.
The circle of family ties is highly restricted. To obtain a visa, the foreign national must be the spouse / common-law partner / child (regardless of age) / grandchild / parent / grandparent / sibling of a Canadian citizen or holder of a permanent residence permit.
At the same time, the relative named in the application undertakes to financially support the applicant. If the application is approved, the temporary residence permit will be valid for three years.
The new program comes in response to numerous appeals from Canadians who have relatives in Gaza. Through it, they hope to save their loved ones from war. As it stands, however, the program has been criticized by the public
Criticism
First, the number of visas the ministry is going to issue is strictly limited. The program will expire after 1,000 applications have been accepted — or one year after this government policy comes into effect, whichever comes first.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims criticized the 1,000-applicant limit and said it has already contacted more people trying to get their families out of Gaza. Palestinian relatives in Canada do not support the 1,000 applicant limit, recalling, for example, that Canada has already sheltered 210,000 Ukrainians since the start of the Russian invasion.
Second, critics of special assistance measures are dissatisfied with the required closeness of kinship. The existing program is available only to immediate family members of Canadians, but there are no plans to expand it.
Canada's Department of Immigration has come out in defense of the restrictions. Officials said the number of visas reflects the fluid situation on the ground and the challenges Canada and other countries have faced in moving people from Gaza across the tightly controlled border with Egypt.
For Palestinians already in Canada, like Israelis, there are other support measures — the ability to obtain a free open work permit.
