Canada announces five-fold increase in visas for Palestinians in Gaza
Al Jazeera
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says 5,000 visas will be offered to Palestinians seeking to join family in Canada.
Canada has announced a five-fold increase in visas for Palestinians seeking to join their family members in the country.
Minister of Immigration Marc Miller said on Monday that Ottawa would raise to 5,000 the number of visas offered to residents in Gaza under a special programme announced in December.
“We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza. Many people are worried about their loved ones and have expressed significant interest in the temporary special measures we introduced for their extended family in Gaza,” Miller said in a statement.
Miller said the government is working to assist Palestinians trying to leave Gaza, but that movement out of the territory is currently not possible due to factors outside Ottawa’s control.
Gaza residents who wish to join family Canada must obtain approval from Israeli authorities to leave the territory, before undergoing biometric screening in Egypt.
