However the Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims says there shouldn’t be a cap on the quantity who can search refuge in Canada.
Writer of the article:
Revealed Jan 02, 2024 • Final up to date 15 minutes in the past • 3 minute learn
Article content material
OTTAWA — The Nationwide Council of Canadian Muslims is asking on the federal authorities to take away a cap on the variety of Palestinians who can search refuge with their Canadian prolonged members of the family from the violence within the Gaza Strip.
The particular prolonged household program for individuals in Gaza is about to launch subsequent week, after Palestinian Canadians pleaded for months to get assist from the federal government to rescue their family members because the Israel-Hamas struggle continues.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Article content material
This system would provide visas to a most of 1,000 Palestinians, which might enable them to take refuge in Canada for 3 years if their households are keen to financially help them throughout that point.
When Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced the plan final month, he mentioned it wasn’t clear how many individuals would profit, however that it could most likely be “within the lots of.”
Every week later, the division launched the written coverage for this system.
It exhibits that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will shut this system to new requests after it receives and begins processing the primary 1,000 functions, or after a 12 months has elapsed.
The council of Canadian Muslims, a nationwide advocacy group, says it has already been in touch with greater than a thousand individuals who have reached out about getting their households out of Gaza.
“There shouldn’t be a cap,” mentioned Uthman Fast, the group’s director of communications.
The Immigration Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark, however final month, Miller mentioned it stays very troublesome to safe secure passage out of the Palestinian territory.
Headline Information
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
Ottawa has no management over who can cross the tightly managed Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on any given day, and even getting Canadian residents out of the struggle zone has confirmed to be sluggish and troublesome.
Toronto immigration lawyer Yameena Ansari mentioned she believes the cap represents an enormous underestimate of the quantity of people that need assistance.
Ansari advocated for the coverage as a part of an advert hoc group of immigration attorneys referred to as the Gaza Household Reunification Mission.
“Simply between the attorneys on this group, we all know greater than 1,000 candidates,” mentioned Ansari, who referred to as the restrict “heinous.”
Gaza has been beneath close to fixed bombardment since Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing an estimated 1,200 individuals in Israel and taking about 240 hostage.
Israel virtually instantly launched a retaliatory assault within the Hamas-controlled territory that has seen greater than 21,900 Palestinians killed, based on native authorities.
Two-thirds of the Palestinian casualties are ladies and youngsters, Gaza’s Well being Ministry says. Canadians with household within the area have described feeling terrified for family members who’re operating out of locations to take shelter.
Commercial 4
Article content material
Ansari mentioned she expects the variety of functions will replenish shortly, creating what she referred to as a “battle royale” for a scarce variety of visas.
“What’s at stake is, and I need to put this actually bluntly: is your loved ones going to stay or are they going to die?” Ansari mentioned.
She mentioned she took calls all by means of the vacations from frantic households hoping to organize for the Jan. 9 launch of this system, and hoping their households will stay lengthy sufficient to get a visa.
A few of these conversations have been troublesome, Ansari mentioned. She has needed to clarify that not all members of the family will be capable to go away. Households should determine whether or not to depart some family members behind.
That’s, if they’ll even get by means of the border.
“This piece of paper may be meaningless. You won’t be capable to go away this battle,” Ansari mentioned.
That’s why the NCCM mentioned they’ve referred to as for a ceasefire to place an finish to the violence.
Most individuals in Gaza don’t need to go away, Fast mentioned, and so they need to know that in the event that they do flee to Canada for refuge that they’ve the appropriate to return residence when the battle is over.
With recordsdata from The Related Press.
Associated Tales
Article content material