Manitobans residing in Canada have expressed frustration over the prolonged delays in obtaining visas for their family members in Gaza. The delays in Canada’s special measures program have left families in dire circumstances as paperwork and uncertainties mount.
Hafsaa Abuaassi, a Winnipeg resident, has been separated from her family in Gaza since the conflict began over two years ago. Tragically, her brother and brother-in-law lost their lives in December 2023 due to Israeli airstrikes. Despite surviving the attack, her father, along with her mother and siblings, has been awaiting Canadian visas since the inception of the special measures program in January 2024.
Abuaassi, who moved to Canada in 2022, emphasized the urgent need to reunite with her family. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that 880 individuals have been brought to Canada under the program since July 29. However, the program, which allows extended family members in Gaza to come to Canada on temporary resident visas, has reached its cap of 5,000 applications.
Abdalrahman Qeshta, who moved to Canada from Gaza in 2017, revealed that sixteen of his relatives are among those awaiting visa approvals. The family has endured challenging times, with limited access to clean water and essential resources following the conflict in Gaza.
Despite applying promptly for the special measures visa program, Qeshta’s family is still waiting in Egypt for nearly two years. He expressed concerns over the slow processing of their applications, highlighting the hardships faced by his loved ones in Gaza.
Similar to Qeshta, Abuaassi’s family has faced obstacles in completing biometrics requirements necessary for visa processing. The absence of biometrics offices in Gaza has posed a significant challenge, with limited accessibility to neighboring countries due to border closures and high crossing fees.
The families in Gaza continue to endure dire living conditions, with a significant percentage of structures damaged and scarce access to basic necessities. Calls for expedited processing and potential waivers for biometrics requirements have been made to alleviate the bureaucratic backlog and facilitate the safe passage of Gazans to Canada.
In light of the ongoing challenges, families urge the Canadian government to take swift actions to address the visa delays and provide essential support to reunite families separated by conflict.