TORONTO – The government of Canada is under fire for asking the Palestinians about minute details of the sufferings they are being subjected to by the violence currently ensuing in the region.
The government of Canada had announced to give temporary visas to those in the war-torn region through their family members residing in Canada.
What prompted the criticism was the number of visas allowed in this regard as the authorities restricted it to merely 1000.
In a fresh discovery, it has been revealed that the government of Canada is also asking the visa seekers to list details of any scars or injuries that required medical attention, including how they sustained them.
Although the visa applications are laborious and comprehensive, Canada’s government has somewhat taken it to the next level by asking for detailed employment history going back to age 16, as well as links to social media accounts and a list of all in-laws of the Palestinians seeking visas.
Canada announced the temporary resident visa programme on January 9, three months after the war in Gaza began and the cap on the number of visas triggered concerns though the government has stated that the limit was not non-negotiable.
As far as the number of visas is concerned, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the program “expires once 1,000 applications have been accepted into processing or one year after the public policy comes into effect, whichever comes first”.
“IRCC continues to be flexible as we assess the situation, including the volumes of applications received and the ability to facilitate eligible family members to leave Gaza and reach a safe third country,” the spokesman was quoted as saying by Al-Jazeera.
Though the latest data is not available, figures from January 16 confirm that Canada was processing 144 applications, though none had been finalized.
The government is also reiterating that it is still not guaranteed whether the Palestinians will be able to leave Gaza or not in the backdrop of the violence that has left over 25,000 people dead to this day.
The United Nations and other international players are repeatedly calling for a ceasefire; however, the authorities in Israel are moving on with their plan unhindered.
