Families deplore the slowness of the repatriation of their relatives of Gaza

Almost everywhere in Canada, and in particular in British Columbia, families still wait for their loved ones who are in the Gaza Strip can be repatriated by Canada. Some have submitted visa requests while others are still waiting for an immigration, refugee and citizenship Canada code to apply for a visa.

Nariman Ajjur cannot hold back her tears when she talks about her 3 -year -old nephew, who was removed from the rubble when he was 1 year and a half after a missile hit his home. Because of the impact, Nariman’s brother died, leaving behind his wife and their son who no longer smiles.

He was extracted from under the rubble. He lost his father. I continue to fight for his safety, and against his state of malnutrition. He is now 3 years old, he is traumatized, and has language delays.

I can’t stay without doing anythingexplains the resident of Surrey, evoking the concern that crosses her every day.

After submitting a request to the special visa program for Canadian nationals who have family in the Palestinian enclave, launched in December 2023, Palestinians living in Canada are still waiting.

Nariman Ajjur is still waiting for an answer for his parents, his nephew and his sister-in-law, a widow since October 2023.

They are still waiting. The situation is dangerous and worse in worse every day. With the threats of an invasion of the city of Gaza, things are worse, because I do not know if my family will be alive tomorrow. Every day is a nightmare for us.

United Nations agencies and a large number ofONG Consider that the situation is quickly deteriorating in the Palestinian enclave, stressing that Israel is blocking access to humanitarian aid and sets in Gaza civilians.

Since October 7, 2023, around 62,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army or the follow -up of the armed conflict, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. About 1,200 Israelis have also lost their lives since that date.

Almost impossible to get out of the enclave

In December 2023, the former minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, Marc Miller, announced the granting of 1,000 temporary residence visas to the relatives of Canadians in the Gaza Strip.

Ottawa subsequently set a ceiling of 5,000 visas for the Palestinian temporary resettlement program.

However, among these, just over 1,700 people who left Gaza and passed the security checks were authorized to come in Canada on July 8, 2025.

On the same date, only 864 people arrived in the country.

Since it is Israel and Egypt that control the entries and exits from the Gaza Strip, the Gazaouis must obtain permission from these countries to leave the enclave.

The new minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, Lena Metlege Diab, was unable to grant an interview with Radio-Canada.

A spokesperson for his ministry still advanced that The ability of people to leave Gaza remains the main challenge that affects the speed with which we can help the Gazaouis to find their families in Canada, each country establishing its own entry and exit conditionshe writes.

The processing of requests from people in the region has many complex factors.

Waiting for sesame

If some have applied for a visa, others are still waiting for a code ofIRCC.

It is a sesame which then allows them to file a visa request. About fifty families who have not received this code and who have not had any explanations for this refusal decided to prosecute the ministry in court.

Hana Marku, lawyer for the cabinet Marku & Lee, and who represents families and their relatives, made an unusual request to the Federal Court of Canada last Wednesday.

We have used a very strange method, which is to beg the court to make a decision more quickly because we hear, coming from families that we represent, that their loved ones could be dead before a judgment was rendereddenounces Me Marku from his office in Toronto.

Families ask that the short slice on the technical step of granting codes.

If a Canadian residing in Canada wishes to bring a member of his Gaza family, immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada should give him a codeEstime me Mark.

Honestly, I wake up every morning with a rock on my stomach when I open my emails, I always wonder if one of my clients is dead [à Gaza]indicates the one who claims to have never practiced law in this way before.

IRCC said he did not comment on the case since she is in court, said a spokesperson.

Political pressures

For several weeks, Nariman Ajjur, who has been part of the informal group of Gazaouis in Canada, has been taking part in demonstrations in front of the office of his deputy. The group requests the security evacuation of all families blocked in the enclave.

Saadiya Joha, resident of Coquitlam, in the suburbs of Vancouver, also participates in demonstrations so that Ottawa accelerates the procedures for granting visas.

Ms. Joha has been trying for two years to bring her parents, her brothers and sisters and their children, located in the war zone, in order to repatriate them to her house.

The youngest child of his sister Samah was 14 months old and was born in a tent with limited access to natural milk.

My family lives in the most dangerous place in the world. She has no water, she has no foodshe deplores.