Sudanese Canadians demand urgency from Ottawa almost 1 year after applying for family members to flee war

Emran Abdulmahmoud says he hasn't heard from his brothers, who are displaced and living under siege in war-ravaged Sudan for nearly three months now because there's no internet access. 

The London, Ont., resident applied to bring his three brothers to safety in Canada in February 2024 through a family-based humanitarian program launched by the federal government in the same month of that year.

Almost a year later, after thousands of dollars had been spent on their applications, he said there was still no word from Immigration Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their status. 

"I'm still waiting for the government to process their applications to get [them] out of Sudan," said Abdulmahmoud, who spent $9,900 for each of his brothers and continues to financially support them while they're in Sudan so they can access basic necessities.  

"And this is just me. There are so many other people whose families applied for them, and they died while waiting. I wouldn't be able to accept if something happened to my brothers."

Tens of thousands of people have already died in Sudan due to the conflict that broke out in April 2023. According to the United Nations, half of Sudan's population — nearly 25 million people — are "experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity."

The pathway program is meant to bring in families of Canadian citizens or permanent residents from Sudan. When it first launched, applications were capped at 3,250, which was reached by early May 2024, putting the program on pause until further notice.

Applicants were also required to have minimum funds of $9,900 to privately sponsor one person, plus a processing fee of $635 per adult and $175 per child. 

An IRCC spokesperson told CBC News that as of Dec. 26, 2024, 399 applications, representing more than 800 people, have been approved with zero refusals, adding that 17 applications were withdrawn. Of the approved applicants, 179 have landed in Canada, with 2,835 still being processed, the agency said. 

"We continue to process temporary and permanent residence applications already in our inventory for those affected by the conflict in Sudan in all streams. This includes individuals who are still in Sudan and those who have fled the country to surrounding regions." 

However, Sudanese Canadians have criticized the capacity, delays and financial requirements placed on them by the agency, accusing it of having a double standard when compared to humanitarian programs for people who fled wars in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Gaza. 

More than 50 organizations across the country have signed an open letter, calling on Ottawa to reduce what they say are "discriminatory barriers" in bringing their loved ones to Canada. They want IRCC to resume the program and provide applicants with clear processing times. 

"We feel like there's a lot of discrimination in terms of the financial burdens they've imposed on us, and we've been given an unfair cap," said Samah Mahmoud, an immigration consultant in London, who also has family in Sudan.

Mahmoud is a member of a Sudanese-Canadian advocacy subcommittee that helps inform Ottawa's policy toward the immigration pathway.