CIMM – Family Reunification – Gaza – March 20, 2024

Key Facts and Figures

• As of October 2023, the Government of Canada has facilitated the assisted departure of over 2,570 Canadians, permanent residents, and their eligible family members from Tel Aviv, the West Bank, and Gaza via Rafah.
• On December 21, 2023, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced temporary immigration measures to help Israelis and Palestinians access fee-exempt study permits and open work permits, to provide them access to education and the labour market while in Canada.
• Also on December 21, 2023, IRCC announced a temporary public policy to facilitate temporary resident visas for certain extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Gaza. The public policy was launched on January 9, 2024.

Key Messages

• Canada recognizes the importance of keeping families together. We understand that many Canadians are concerned about the safety of their loved ones in Gaza. That is why the Government of Canada has been working since October 2023 to help Canadians, permanent residents, and their eligible family members leave Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
• The Government of Canada have helped over 1,661 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members leave Israel. As of March 14, 2024, we have assisted 839 Canadians, permanent residents, and their immediate family members leave Gaza through the Rafah border with Egypt since November 1, 2023. An additional 79 individuals were assisted out of the West Bank.
• On January 9, 2024, IRCC launched a temporary resident pathway for extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents currently residing in Gaza. This measure aims to provide a temporary safe haven for up to 1,000 Palestinians impacted by the crisis in Gaza who have Canadian citizen or permanent resident family members in Canada willing to support them.
• As of March 11, 2024, IRCC has accepted 986 applications into processing under the extended family public policy.
• In addition, IRCC is prioritizing applications of all existing and new applications for permanent residence for Palestinians within most family-based streams. As per program requirements, applications under the parents and grandparents stream are processed in the order they are received.
• The Department is assessing applications as quickly as possible. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will continue to tailor our response to meet the needs of those who require our support.

Supplementary Information

If pressed on web forms, web codes, and the application process:

• The submission of a web form and the issuance of a web code are only the first two steps in submitting a complete application. Clients must also submit their temporary resident visa application through IRCC’s TReAPP. To date, we have accepted 986 applications into process under the public policy. Some individuals have received web codes and submitted applications that have not yet been accepted into process. IRCC continues to process applications under the public policy for extended family members of Canadians.

If pressed on who qualifies as family for the public policy for the special temporary resident pathway and if this will be expanded to include other extended family members, such as nieces and nephews, many of whom are now orphaned:

• Some humanitarian public policies have included broader extended family in the eligibility criteria, in order to support keeping families together. For the temporary resident pathway for extended family members located in Gaza, eligible applicants include the spouse, common-law partner, child (regardless of age), grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of a Canadian anchor.

If pressed on expediting other family class applications, including on parents and grandparents:

• Permanent resident applications in the parents and grandparents stream of the family class must be processed in the order in which they have been received, per program requirements.

If pressed on complications with Rafah border crossings:

• The Rafah border crossing operations involve complex negotiations and are unpredictable. Canada continues to work with authorities on all sides in order to facilitate the assisted departure of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their family members, and to advocate for safe exit out of Gaza for eligible clients under the special temporary resident pathway.
• The Government of Canada has put forward names of people who passed preliminary eligibility and admissibility reviews to local authorities for approval, but does not ultimately decide who can exit Gaza.
• Applicants with no eligibility or admissibility concerns who are able to leave Gaza will have their biometrics collected in a third country. Biometrics can only be completed once people have left Gaza, as IRCC has no presence there.

If pressed on whether IRCC will process applications by individuals who exit Gaza on their own:

• For individuals with applications accepted under the public policy, IRCC will continue to process their application if they are able to exit Gaza and make their way to Cairo for further processing. As of March 14, 2024, we have issued 14 visas to individuals who have crossed the border.
• For those who have submitted a regular temporary resident visa application, IRCC will also continue with the processing of their application. We will also process any new temporary resident visa applications from those who have been able to exit Gaza.
• At this time, the Government of Canada’s focus is on securing exit for those who already have an application under the public policy for extended family members of Canadians.

If pressed on how some people are able to cross at Rafah:

• There is an official process for exit from Gaza put in place by the governments of Egypt and Israel, and the Government of Canada must respect that process and work with our partners in order to secure exit for our clients.

If pressed on Canada-Israel relations:

• Canada is deeply concerned for the safety of people in the region, including those with ties to Canada and Canadians.
• We are grateful for Israel’s cooperation in the assisted departures of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their eligible family members from Tel Aviv and the West Bank.
• Canada is counting on Israel’s cooperation to help reunite Canadians with their family members in Gaza as soon as possible.