Thank you for advocating for Gazans with family ties to Canada! Due to your voice, on January 9, 2024, Immigration Canada launched the Gaza Special Immigration Measures Program.

You can learn more about the program, including: who can apply, how to apply, and what will happen after you apply here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/israel-west-bank-gaza-2023/gaza-tr-measures.html

If you need help applying, the Muslim Legal Support Centre (MLSC) has assembled a roster of volunteer lawyers. You can reach out to MLSC by filling out their intake form (here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCkd8Vzc0QgGm4qhqjXv8ZBRpVkaGdxL75nj50CUxUu3XVLw/viewform or by emailing them at immigrationprogram@muslimlegalcentre.ca.

If you submitted a temporary resident visa application before the special measures were introduced, you can follow specific directions to have your existing application processed under the new pathway. Reach out to the Gaza Family Reunification Project at gazafamilyreunificationproject@gmail.com for directions on how to transfer existing applications to the new portal.

We, as immigration lawyers, have been monitoring the roll-out of the program and still have some outstanding concerns, including:

1. Immigration Canada has not yet confirmed whether the program will be capped at 1,000 applicants or if more will be accepted
2. The application asks invasive and never-before-seen questions of the applicants, including all their previous social media handles, details about all of their scars, and information about their in-laws
3. Some application forms need to be signed by ink, but most Gazans don’t have access to a printer and a scanner
4. Applications have been refused due to applicants providing “insufficient information,” but it’s nearly impossible to gather all the necessary documents given the lack of internet connectivity, that banks are destroyed, and documents have been lost amidst the chaos
5. Applicants will be provided with 2 days of room and board in Cairo, but their immigration process in Cairo may take 7 days or more
6. It’s still unclear how long it will take to process these applications
7. It’s still unclear how long it will take Gazans to receive work permits after arriving in Canada
8. It seems unlikely that Gazans will be able to access income assistance while they wait for work permits
9. It's unclear if applicants will be eligible for provincial health coverage beyond the 3 months of federal coverage
10. There will be no settlement support provided to the Gazans
    Gazans outside the Strip won’t be eligible to apply for this program

The Gaza Family Reunification Project continues our lobbying efforts to improve the program for all Palestinian-Canadians.

In solidarity,

Gaza Family Reunification Project

Yameena Ansari, Ansari Immigration Law

Connie Campbell, Edelmann & Co. Law Offices

Randall Cohn, Edelmann & Co. Law Offices

Damey Lee, Marku & Lee Immigration & Refugee Lawyers

Hana Marku, Marku & Lee Immigration & Refugee Lawyers

Debbie Rachlis, Debbie Rachlis Law