Montreal, Canada – Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller described the situation in the Gaza Strip as “unlivable” due to a fierce Israeli bombardment in late December. In response, the Canadian government launched a special visa program to allow citizens and permanent residents to bring extended family members from Gaza to Canada for safety and to keep families together. However, more than three months later, no Palestinian applicant has been able to leave Gaza through the visa program, causing anger and frustration among families who feel abandoned by the Canadian government.
Samar Alkhdour, a Palestinian mother living in Canada, has been leading a daily sit-in outside Miller’s office in Montreal to pressure the government to facilitate the entry of her relatives from Gaza. Alkhdour, who received permanent residency in Canada last February, is trying to bring her sister, sister’s husband, and their two children from Gaza to Montreal to join her family. Despite her efforts, the family’s visa applications are still in the early stages, leaving Alkhdour feeling hopeless.
Alkhdour’s sit-in, which started late last month, is a plea for action from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to expedite the process and bring her family to safety. The ongoing struggles faced by families trying to reunite in Canada highlight the urgent need for the government to fulfill its promise of a humanitarian pathway to safety for those in Gaza.
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Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
