The Promise Betrayed: Canada’s Gaza Immigration Program
Palestinian Canadian families came to Canada seeking safety, dignity, and a better future. When war broke out in Gaza and their loved ones were trapped in a genocide broadcast live for the world to see, they turned to the Canadian government for help—hoping it would respond with the same compassion and urgency it extended to Ukrainian Canadians.
Instead, they were met with silence. Indifference. Inaction.
They lobbied. They met with Minister Mark Miller. They received a promise: the Gaza Special Immigration Measures Program in January 2024. But that promise has proven to be a cruel deception.
As Amnesty International clearly stated: “Bureaucratic roadblocks make it inaccessible.”
The IRCC called it a “humanitarian program,” but the reality is stark.
The Disparity Is Unmistakable:
- For Ukraine: Over 300,000 welcomed. 900,000 visas were processed. Medical exams waived. Biometrics waived. Charter flights arranged. Support services in place.
- For Gaza: 0.47% evacuated. No waivers. No flights. 5000-application Cap. Only endless excuses, opaque processes, and total silence.
Canada is the Main Obstacle
The core barrier is Canada’s presumption of guilt—requiring biometrics before allowing anyone to leave.
Canada designed a program destined to fail. From the beginning, the process was needlessly complex: a sworn statement, a web form, an IRCC evaluation with intrusive and dehumanizing questions, followed by the supposed requirement to exit Gaza for biometrics in Egypt.
For most Palestinians, this was impossible. Canadian Palestinians submitted the necessary forms within weeks of the program’s launch on January 9, 2024. Then—without warning or explanation—the program was closed because it reached the 5,000-application cap.
The visas granted were for those who found their own impossible ways out-by paying bribes to Egyptian border officials. Only 861 Palestinians arrived in Canada.
We demand immediate reform. The system must serve people, not block them.
Our Families Are Dying. Canada Has Slammed the Door.
We have held countless meetings. Written letter after letter. Cried in front of Parliament. Pleaded for action. And still, Minister Lena Diab and Immigration Canada have offered nothing but closed doors.
Our families—have survived what no child should ever endure. Families in Gaza are just like any family in Canada they are full of dreams, grief, and love. This is not about politics. This is about human dignity.
This is not just a bureaucratic failure.
This is racism—baked into policy, dressed in compassion, and buried in press releases.
Our lives are not worth less. Our grief is not quieter.
Why Has Canada Failed Gaza?
It is both baffling and infuriating that Canada, a country that in the past successfully evacuated its citizens and even arranged medical evacuations from war zones, has failed so spectacularly in its response to Gaza.
A few legal cases are now underway— “The lawyer is Debbie Rachlis” — but court proceedings take time. We cannot wait. Our families are still trapped, still at risk, and we need immediate action now.
Minister Diab has consistently refused to engage. She ignored every letter, phone call, message, and plea. She has blocked messages on social media and walked away from grieving families’ mid-conversation. This is not oversight—it is deliberate.
Stranded in Egypt: A Crisis in Limbo
Many of our family members who did manage to escape Gaza are now stranded in Egypt. They cannot work, cannot access government services, and their children—who have already lived through unimaginable trauma—are barred from attending school. These families receive no support from UNHCR, and UNRWA does not operate in Egypt. They rely entirely on relatives in Canada and charitable donations just to survive.
This situation is unacceptable, and it is a direct consequence of Canada’s inaction.
If countries like Romania can organize evacuations, why can’t Canada? What is really happening behind the scenes? What prevents action? And what will happen to those stranded, suffering in limbo?
It’s clear: this program was designed to prevent—not enable—evacuation from Gaza.
WINNIPEG: WE’RE BACK.
So we rise—not out of rage, but out of love and necessity. For our families. For our children. For life. Canada needs to accept refugees from Gaza, without any waiting, just as they did from Ukraine.
Wednesday, July 30th | 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM
IRCC Office – 269 Main Street, Winnipeg
We will not stop until our families are safe.
Take Action Now:
Email Minister Lena Diab:
minister@cic.gc.ca | lena.diab@parl.gc.ca
Email your Member of Parliament: Find yours here → https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en