TORONTO – The government of Canada has announced to provide temporary residence to the family members of Canadians who are trapped in conflict-marred Gaza.
In an official press release on Thursday, the government announced that special measures were being introduced to support temporary residence for extended family members in Gaza who are related to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Under the offer, three-year temporary resident visas would be granted and the immigration minister revealed family members as following who will be able to apply:
the spouse, common law partner, child regardless of age, grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, as well as their immediate family members.
‘We will also prioritize the processing of all existing and new permanent residence applications for Palestinians within family-based streams,’ the government announced.
Admitting that the situation in the region remains tense, the government said if individuals are able to exit Gaza, they will need to complete all admissibility and eligibility requirements before they can be approved to come to Canada.
“The scale of this humanitarian crisis is devastating and the situation on the ground is challenging. Israelis and Palestinians in Canada will continue to find safety here and we will do what we can to help loved ones who have fled the region, as well as eligible family members who remain in Gaza. We will continue to remain flexible with our response so we can meet the unique needs of those who require our support,” said Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Besides, the government announced that foreign national family members of Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) who have left Israel and the Palestinian Territories, either with their family members or of their own accord, can also apply for a fee-exempt study or open work permit.
Moreover, Israelis and Palestinians already in Canada who feel unsafe returning to the region at this time can also apply for a fee-exempt study or open work permit as part of the relaxation offered by the authorities in Canada.
Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza remains vulnerable to violence as over 20,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the war between Israel and Hamas, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The severity of the situation can be assessed from the fact that the number of deaths has surpassed any conflict in Gaza in recent history including the 1948 Arab-Israeli war which left over 15,000 dead, a conflict named Nakba (the catastrophe).
