Palestinian Quebecers scramble to get families to Canada as Gaza death toll climbs

Months after fleeing the bombs exploding on Gaza, Mohammed-sharif Alghusain is rebuilding his life on Montreal's South Shore. Alghusain is applying for jobs while his two daughters are back in school. One of the girls, a diabetic, is finally getting the insulin she needs.

As a Canadian citizen, Alghusain was able to cross over into Egypt and get a flight to Montreal. Since then, the death toll in Gaza has risen past 25,000 people — mostly women and children — according to Palestinian health authorities. 

Now, he is scrambling to bring his parents and three sisters in Gaza to safety in Canada as part of Ottawa's temporary residency program for family members of Palestinian Canadians.

On Jan. 9, the federal government launched the special immigration measures allowing 1,000 family members to move here for three years. 

It says applicants are required to have up-to-date passports and results of biometric tests, such as fingerprints and photos for facial recognition. They must also show they will be supported by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for a year.

But while Palestinian Quebecers race to get their loved ones to safety, people like Alghusain, as well as some immigration lawyers and organizations that support refugees, say Ottawa's program is too restrictive and comes too late.

Alghusain says the application process is confusing, and he fears potentially deadly delays.

"Every day matters, every hour matters because you never know what's going to happen tomorrow or the next hour," he said.

Alghusain says some of the documents the application asks for — such as passports and identification numbers — may seem basic but are very difficult for people to get together in a conflict zone. 

He also questions how people will be able to cross into Egypt to complete the biometric tests needed to complete the application if Israel and Egypt don't allow them to leave. 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told CBC it's asking Gaza migrant applicants for detailed information because it's incapable of conducting biometric tests in Gaza before migrants cross into Egypt through the Rafah Gate. 

"IRCC understands that people may not have access to all the required documents," it said in a statement, adding it will be flexible where possible. 

Palestinian Quebecer Ayman Oweida, spends his days researching ways to extend the lives of cancer patients and teaching at Université de Sherbrooke. Lately, however, he has been busy trying to help relatives escape Gaza.

Since Israeli airstrikes began in October, Oweida's elderly aunts and uncles have fled their homes and taken shelter under the same roof as dozens of others — 70 altogether for a home that would normally house 10 people.